JULY 11, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1947 - Jeff Hanna, guitarist and lead vocalist ("Mr. Bojangles") for the United Artists and Capitol Records group The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is born in Detroit, Michigan

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1950 - George Gard "Buddy" DeSylva, lyricist, librettist, music publisher, Broadway and motion picture producer, and co-founder of Capitol Records with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs, who put up $25,000 of his own money to start the company, dies of heart failure in Hollywood, California at age 55
1953 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April In Portugal is #4 down from #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Vaya Con Dios" is #5 up from #6, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Half A Photograph" is #12 up from #17, Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Ruby" is still #15, and Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Allez-Vous-En" (the flip side of "Half A Photograh) is #17 up from #18
1960 - Time Magazine runs an article about Capitol Records artists The Kingston Trio and the success of their album "Sold Out"
1963 - Buck Owens records the track "Love's Gonna Live Here Again" which Capitol Records will release as a single on August 19, 1963 with "Getting Used To Losing You" on the flip side. The track will go to #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart.
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Billboard Magazine runs an article "Beatles' LP: 4 Days That Shake The Industry" about how the soundtrack to "A Hard Day's Night" sold 1 million copies in 4 days, becoming one of the fastest selling albums in recording history
1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Wouldn't It Be Nice", with "God Only Knows" on the flip side, peaks at #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1972 - Merle Haggard records the track "It's Not Love, But It's Not Bad" which Capitol Records will release as a single with "My Woman Keeps Lovin' Her Man" on the flip side in August 1972
1987- Heart's Capitol Records single "Alone", with "Barracuda" (live version recorded at NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan, June 1986), on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
10 Years Ago Today In 1999 - Helen Forrest (born Helen Fogel), singer with the bands of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, and the Sam Donahue led Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, radio performer (on "The Dick Haymes Show"), motion picture actress (including "Bathing Beauty" and "Two Girls And A Sailor"), and Capitol Records artist (1955 album "Voice Of The Name Bands"), dies of congestive heart failure at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills at 82 and is later laid to rest in Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California
2000 - Capitol Records releases Everclear's album "Learning How To Smile, An American Movie, Volume I". I designed the "frowny face", an adaption of Harvey R. Ball's "smiley face" image, that was used as the main packaging graphic for the album's first single "Wonderful".
2006 - Bill Miller, long time musical director, accompanist, and friend of Frank Sinatra, dies at Montreal General Hospital in Canada at age 91. His daughter Meredith was with him at the hospital when he passed. He had been working at a month long gig that started June 28 with Frank Sinatra, Jr. at Le Cabaret du Casino, 1 Avenue du Casino, Montreal. Army Archerd's blog has an article giving the specifics and reactions from the Sinatra family.
In private life, Bill was a kind, quiet, and patient man whose unquestioning loyalty to friends, and love of his family, was remarkable. Professionally, it was all about the music and the craft, modestly giving every session an extra something that even he couldn't put into words but you could always hear. He had an amazing ear for the well done, and would only become annoyed or, on a rare occasion, angered when faced with the uncaring or sloppy. I was fortunate to be able to talk to Mr. Miller at his home on June 4, 2006. Bill was inside watching the ball games, which he said he only really took interest in during the playoffs. After introductions, and him finding out about my interest in Capitol, he turned down the TV and we talked for a little while. His memory was very much intact, but after being caught in a mudslide in the '60s that also killed his wife, he had some hearing problems. I told him about meeting Vernise Pelzel and Louise Yocum, the daughter and wife, respectively, of Sinatra's music coordinator and copiest Vern Yocum, the previous weekend and he said that he remembered Vern very well and how much Vern would do anything to help Nelson Riddle meet his deadlines. I told him about meeting the curator of the Nelson Riddle collection at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and how he was able to tell how much Vern had done by looking at the handwriting on the charts. Bill said that he remembered how prouc Vern was proud of his body building son and would show him photos of Ray Yokum all the time. I asked Bill if he could help identify some of the players at Sinatra's "Tone Poems Of Colors" sessions. He suggested looking at listings of the session players before and after the "Tone Poem" sessions to get an idea on who was working on those session, as it was normal to get the same people together. We talked about some of the producers who worked with Sinatra, he remembered how Voyle Gilmore was the serious one of the crowd that included Dave Cavanaugh and Lee Gillette. He talked about Sinatra starting out at the Capitol Studios on Melrose and how the first singles with Axel didn't go well. He felt the first real recordings for Capitol started when Nelson Riddle started arranging for Frank for "I've Got The World On A String". He said he had been back in Studio B in the Tower last year working with Frank Jr. on tracks. I told him about the live recording of Sinatra that Capitol released last year as part of the Las Vegas Centennial tribute and Bill said that Capitol recorded a lot of the shows be he didn't know what they had done with the tapes. He hadn't heard about the release of the Las Vegas CD (a few weeks later, after he had left for Montreal, I dropped off a copy of the disc I had bought for him). We talked about people who were still around like Jo Stafford and Martha Tilton and I told him how Stafford and Weston's papers were joining those of Nelson and Vern's at The University of Arizona Tucson's School Of Music. I told him that Nellie Lutcher was still alive in L.A. though no longer performing. He was surprised at that, saying that she must be at least as old as he is, if not more. We talked about Freddie Slack. Bill said he wasn't a big fan of but that was probably because he was jealous that he couldn't play the piano like Freddie. A call from his daughter Meredith in Berkeley ended the conversation. Later, I would thank him for his time and I was invited back after he came back from Montreal. I'm just glad for the time I had.
2006 - The 30th anniversary release of The Steve Miller Band's album is rescheduled to Tuesday, July 18th, 2006

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1931 - Thurston Harris, singer with the groups The Lamplighters, The Tenderfoots, and The Sharps, and a solo Aladdin Records artist (best known for the track "Little Bitty Pretty One"), is born in Indianapolis, Indiana. I designed the album packaging for Harris' EMI America's 1986 greatest hits compliation with art director Henry Marquez.
1946 - At his first recording session, Dean Martin records the tracks “Which Way Did My Heart Go?”, “All of Me”, “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” for Diamond Records whose offices were located in The Brill Building in New York City
1937 - George Gershwin, composer (who worked with future Capitol Records co-founder Buddy DeSylva on songs such as "Stairway To Heaven" as well as with his brother Ira Gershwin, dies in Beverly Hills, California at age 38 from an inoperable brain tumor. Many Capitol Records artists have covered songs written by Gershwin and his compositions were featured as part of the "Capitol Sings" series on the CD "Fascinatin' Rhythm: Capitol Sings George Gershwin".
1960 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Walking To New Orleans" is #21 up from #31 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, The Fleetwoods' Dolton Records single "Runaround" is #23 up from #25, and Don Costa and His Orchestra's United Artists Records single "Theme From 'The Unforgiven'" is still #27. Imperial, Dolton and United Artists Records' catalogs are currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1968 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "Fancy Dance", "Upstairs", and "Sting Ray" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Thorne Nogar for their Pacific Jazz album "Powerhouse". Capitol Records now owns the Pacific Jazz catalog
1976 - Frank Sinatra marries Barbara Marx in Palm Springs, California
2006 - Nelson Riddle's Capitol Records album "Sing a Song With Riddle" is re-released on CD with the never released "Hey Diddle Riddle" album as a 2 disc set by DRG Records thanks to DRG's president Hugh Fordin being able to convince Capitol to license him the material. Unfortunately, according to someone who was involved with another record company that was trying to release the album itself last year, DRG's incomplete research has led to them leaving off 1 track from the album and an additional 2 tracks that were supposed to be released as a 45 single to coincide with the album's original release are also not on DRG's release.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Sir Laurence Olivier dies in Steyning, West Sussex, England, from complications of a neuromuscular disorder and cancer at the age of 82, and is interred in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, London.

JULY 10, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1941 - Ian Whitcomb, singer, songwriter, ukulele player, bandleader, motion picture and television scorer, record producer, radio disc jockey and Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) artist, is born Ian Timothy Whitcomb in Woking, Surrey, England
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Dave Smalley, guitarist and vocalist with the band The Mods (1964-1966) and The Choir (1966-1969), and bass guitarist (1970-1973) with the Capitol Records group The Raspberries, is born David Bruce Smalley in Oil City, Pennsylvania

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1948 - Capitol Records has five of the top 20 songs on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart with The Pied Piper's Capitol Records single "My Happiness" at #4 up from #7, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #7 down from #3, Mel Blanc and The Sportsmen Quartet's Capitol Records single "The Woody Woodpecker Song" (with The Sportsmen Quartet's track "I’d Love To Live In Loveland With A Girl Like You" on the flip side) enters the top 20 at #8, Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Twelfth Street Rag" is #15 down from #11, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s single "A Tree In The Meadow" (with "I'm Sorry, But I'm Glad" on the flip side), enters the chart at #17
1951 - Peggy Lee and Mel Tormé, with arranger Sid Feller conducting his orchestra (Buck Clayton and Bernie Privin on trumpet; Warren Covington, Lou McGarity, and Buddy Morrow on trombone; Barry Galbraith on guitar; Joe Shulman on bass; John Lewis on piano; and William Exiner on drums), record the tracks "Don't Fan The Flames" and "Telling Me Yes And Telling Me No" which Capitol Records will release together as a single (5-1738)
1952 - Tennessee Ernie Ford, with Cliffie Stone's Orchestra, records the tracks "The Tennessee Local" and "Blackberry Boogie" which will be released by Capitol Records on the Capitol Americana label (#2170) at Capitol Records' Melrose studios in Hollywood, California. "Blackberry Boogie" will peak at #6 on Billboard's Country singles chart.
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Three Coins In A Fountain" is #8 down from #7 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs" is #17 down from #14
1956 - Trumpeter Harry James (with Nick Buono also on trumpet; Juan Tizol on valve trombone; Willie Smith and Herb Lorden on alto saxophone; Francis Polifroni on tenor saxophone; Larry Kinnamon on piano; Joe Comfort on bass; and Buddy Rich on drums) records the track "What Am I Here For" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. The label will reject this version and James will re-record it on May 2, 1957.
1957 - Frank Sinatra, with The Ralph Brewster Singers (Sue Allen, Betty Allen, Ralph Brewster, Peggy Clark, Barbara Ford, Lee Gotch, Beverly Jenkins, Jimmy Joyce, Gene Lanham, Bill Lee, Ray Linn, Jr., John Mann, Thora Mathiason, Dorothy McCarty, Loulie Jean Norman, Betty Noves, Thurl Ravenscroft, Ginny Roos, Max Smith, Bob Stevens, Bill Thompson, Bob Wacker, Betty Wand, Gloria Wood, and Norma Zimmer) and arranger Gordon Jenkins conducting the studio orchestra (Victor Arno, Harry Bluestone, Walter Edelstein, Sol Kindler, Joseph Livoti, Nick Pisani, Joseph Quadri, Lou Raderman, Mischa Russell, and Marshall Sosson on violins; William Baffa, Louis Kievman, Paul Robyn, and David Sterkin on violas; Cy Bernard and Armand Kaproff on cellos; Bill Miller on piano; Nathan Gangursky and John Ryan on bass; Allen Reuss on guitar; and Kathryn Thompson on harp), records the tracks "Adeste Fideles", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear", and "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" in Studio A with producer Voyle Gilmore at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for Sinatra's Capitol Records album "A Jolly Christmas"
1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #39 down from #27 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1965 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Beatles VI" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1967 - Singers Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens (with Roy Nichols on lead guitar; Glen Campbell, Lewis Talley, and Billy Mize on guitar; Norman Hamlett on steel guitar; Jerry Ward on bass; Eddie Burris on drums; and George French on piano) record the track "Look Over Me" with producer Ken Nelson at The Capitol Tower Studios, in Hollywood, California for Haggard's 1968 Capitol Records album "Sing Me Back Home"
1967 - Bobbie Gentry records "Ode to Billie Joe" for Capitol Records at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. I wonder if she listened in to Haggard and Owens' session next door? The track will be rush released as a single by Capitol Records
1968 - Capitol Records releases The Band's debut album "Music From Big Pink"
1972 - Capitol Records releases Pink Floyd's single "Free Four" with "Stay" on the flip side
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Mel Blanc, radio, motion picture and television actor, cartoon voice artist ("man of a thousand voices"), and Capitol Records artist, dies in Los Angeles, California at age 81 and is later interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California with the epitaph "That's All Folks" on his tombstone
2005 - Dr. Cora Martin-Moore, head of the Capitol Records gospel group The Echoes of Eden Choir of St. Paul's Baptist Church, dies in Los Angeles, California at age 74

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
115 Years Ago Today In 1894 - Jimmy McHugh, pianist, song plugger, composer of pop songs (including "Let's Get Lost", "I Can't Give You Anything but Love", "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "I'm in the Mood for Love" and many others) as well as Broadway and motion picture scores, is born James Francis McHugh in Boston, Massachusetts. McHugh collaborated with many lyricsts including Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer as well as Ted Koehler, Ned Washington, Harold Adamson, Frank Loesser, and Dorothy Fields. Many Capitol Records artists have covered McHugh's songs and Capitol released a compliation of them as #17 of its "Capitol Sings" series of CDs "Jimmy McHugh - I Feel A Song Coming On".
1900 - After getting permission from British company The Gramaphone Company (later to become EMI) and commissioning the original artist to make a copy, Emile Berliner registers the image of ‘His Master’s Voice’ with the U.S. Patent Office. In the United States it will become the logo of the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor). The image will remain the official logo for EMI in the United Kingdom.
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Neil Tennant, singer, songwriter, and part of the EMI America Records duo Pet Shop Boys, is born Neil Francis Tennant in North Shields, Northumberland, United Kingdom
1961 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Travelin' Man" is #12 down from #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, it's flip side "Hello Mary Lou" is #21 down from #15, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "It Keeps Rainin'" is #23 up from #24. Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1963 - It's a busy day at the BBC's studios in London as The Beatles record the tracks "A Taste Of Honey", "Memphis, Tennessee", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "Lonesome Tears In My Eyes", "Nothin' Shakin'", "The Hippy Hippy Shake", "So How Come (No-one Loves Me)", "Matchbox", and "Love Me Do" for the sixth episode of the radio show "Pop Go The Beatles" which Auntie Beeb will broadcast on July 23, 1963
1968 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano and electric piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "Hey Jude", "Firewater", and (with Arthur Adams on guitar) "Love & Peace" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Thorne Nogar for their Pacific Jazz album "Powerhouse". Pacific Jazz's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1972 - Capitol Records group Heads, Hands & Feet perform live with The James Gang at Knob Hill in Clarkston, Michigan

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - D.J. Dewey Phillips plays Elvis Presley's single "That's All Right" for its first time on radio, on WHBQ in Memphis, Tennessee
15 Years Ago Today In 1994 - Steven Seagal leaves his footprints in cement at ceremony #163 at Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California
2006 - The Cartoon Network starts showing episodes of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" as part of its "Adult Swim" late night block of shows

JULY 9, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1917 - Bob Howe, long time Capitol Records employee (retires in 1978), is born Robert Howe in Humbolt, Nebraska
1921 - Irv Kluger, drummer, vibraphonist, studio musician, and member of the Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (1947-1948) as well as the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Tex Beneke, and Artie Shaw, is born in Brooklyn, New York
85 Years Ago Today In 1924 - Leonard Pennario, pianist, composer, and Capitol and Angel Records artis is born in Buffalo, New York. Mary Kunz Goldman, Pennario's official biographer, has a daily blog about how she's progressing on writing her book.
80 Years Ago Today In 1929 - Jesse McReynolds, vocalist, fiddle and mandolin player, and guitarist for the Capitol Records (1952) duo Jim and Jesse McReynolds, is born Jesse Lester McReynolds in Carfax (near Coeburn), Virginia

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Johnny Mercer, with The Pied Pipers (June Hutton, Clarke Yocum, Hal Hopper, Chuck Lowry) and Paul Weston and his Orchestra (Ray Linn, Charlie Griffard, and Zeke Zarchy on trumpet; Allan Thompson, Bill Schaefer, and Elmer Smithers on trombone; Herbie Haymer on tenor saxophone; Fred Stulce, Matty Matlock, Hap Lawson, and Lenny Hartman on reeds; Milt Raskin on piano; George Van Eps on guitar; Jack Ryan on bass; and Nick Fatool on drums), records the track "Why Should I Cry Over You?" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will release the track on a single (#448) with "Sugar Blue" on the flip side.
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is still #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugalo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #11 down from #10, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "A Wonderful Guy" is #17 up from #20
1952 - Tennessee Ernie Ford and Ella Mae Morse record the tracks "I'm Hog Tied Over You" and "False Hearted Girl" which Capitol Records will release together as a single (#2215)
1955 - Nat "King" Cole's double sided Capitol Records hit "A Blossom Fell" (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) and "If I May" (with The Four Knights on backing vocals and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) is still #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Baxter and His Orchestra and Chorus' Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #4 down from #3, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" with "If I Had Three Wishes" on the flip side, is still #5, and Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #25 down from #21
1965 - Peggy Lee, with Sid Feller conducting his orchestra, records the tracks "Happy Holidays", Winter Wonderland", and "Little Drummer Boy" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with producer Dave Cavanaugh for her 1965 Capitol Records album "Happy Holidays"
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Pink Floyd record the track "Biding My Time" with producer Norman Smith at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England. The track, written by Roger Waters, will eventually be released on the band's "Relics" album in May 1971
1972 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Made In Japan", with "Black Texas Dirt" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1973 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's album "Country Morning"
1982 - Wingy Manone, trumpet player and Capitol Records artist, dies at age 82 in Las Vegas, Nevada
1988 - Poison's Enigma Records single (distributed by Capitol Records) "Nothin' But A Good Time" with "Look But You Can't Touch" on the flip side, peaks at #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1996 - Capitol Records releases two more volumes from its Ultra Lounge Series of compilation albums, "Volume 8: Cocktail Capers" and "Volume 9: Cha-Cha De Amor"
2001 - The Country Music Association announces the inclusion of Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson and Capitol Records recording artists The Jordanaires into the Country Music Hall of Fame that will happen at a special ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee on October 4, 2001 and they will also be recognized during the Annual CMA Awards November 7, 2001 on CBS-TV
2002 - Rod Steiger (born Rodney Stephen Steiger), television and motion picture actor and a Capitol Records artist (on the original motion picture soundtrack for "Oklahoma!"), dies of pneumonia and kidney failure at age 77 and is later interred in the Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1916 - Joe Liggins, arranger, pianist, founder of Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers, Exclusive, Speacialty, Mercury, and Aladdin Records artist, is born in Guthrie, Oklahoma
1952 - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Mulligan on baritone saxophone, Chet Baker on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Joe Mondragon on bass) record the tracks "Hagi and Haig" and "She Didn't Say Yes, She Didn't Say No" at Phil Turetsky’s House in Los Angeles, Calfornia for Pacific Jazz Records, whose catalog is now owned by Capitol Records
1952 - Les Paul applies for his first patent, "Combined Bridge and Tailpiece for Stringed Instruments", on July 9, 1952, a one pickup design which was granted on March 13, 1956, #2,737,842
1956 - Trumpetist Thad Jones (with Billy Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums), records the tracks "Billie Doo", "Let's", "In A Mellow Tone", and "Thedia" (all of which are rejected) and (with just Thad Jones on trumptet and Burrell on guitar) "Something To Remember You By" (which will be released by Blue Note Records [Japan] on the compilation album by various artists "The Other Side Of The 1500 Series") with producer Alfred Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at The Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1957 - The Mingus Three (Charles Mingus on bass, Hampton Hawes on piano, and Danny Richmond on drums) records the track "Summertime" in New York city with producer Lee Kraft for their self-titled album for Roulette Records. Roulette's catalog is currenly owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1968 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "Love Is Blue", "Promises, Promises", and "Cookie Man" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Thorne Nogar for their Pacific Jazz album "Powerhouse". EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, now owns the Pacific Jazz catalog
1972 - Wings, at their first public appearance, opens at Chateauvillon, in the south of France, and marks the first time Paul McCartney has appeared on stage since 1966
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Future Capitol Records artist Eddy Raven's Universal Records single "In A Letter To You" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts. The track will later be leased to Capitol Records for use on "Greatest Hits" compilations.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - One year to the day from when it was released by Decca Records, Bill Haley and His Comets single "Rock Around The Clock", with "Thirteen Women" on the flip side, becomes the first Rock 'n' Roll song to hit #1 on Billboard's singles chart thanks to it's use in the MGM movie "The Blackboard Jungle"

JULY 8, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
105 Years Ago Today In 1904 - Bill Challis, arranger (most notably Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra's Capitol Records recording of "San") is born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Way)" is #9 up from #10 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Sack)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" is #10 down from #6
1950 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa", with "The Greatest Inventor Of Them All" (I still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of this song on CD yet) now on the flip side, is #1 up from #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart. The song was written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the Paramount Pictures movie "Captain Carey USA" (which I also haven't been able to find on DVD), starring Alan Ladd. Also charting on this date are Kay Starr (with Lou Busch and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Bonaparte's Retreat" at #16 up from #17 and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Nola" at #20 down from #19
1957 - Composer and arranger Johnny Richards (with with Burt Collins, Jerry Kail, Paul Cohen, and Doug Mettome, on trumpets; Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, and Frank Rehak, on trombones; Al Antonucci on french horn; Jay McAllister on tuba; Gene Quill on alto saxophone; Frank Socolow on tenor saxophone; Billy Slapin on baritone saxophone and piccolo; Shelly Gold on bass saxophone; Hank Jones on piano; Chet Amsterdam on bass; Maurice Marks on drums; and Willie Rodriguez on tympani) continues recording tracks in New York City for his Capitol Records album "Wide Range"
1957 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Send For Me" returns to the top 40 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart tied for #24 up from #45 with Rusty Draper's single "Freight Train", Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone" is #36 down from #25, and Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is tied for #36 down from #29 with Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'"
1958 - The Capitol Records original motion picture soundtrack for "Oklahoma!" is the first album certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. At this time, the R.I.A.A. awards a Gold album for $1 million in sales based on the manufacturer's wholesale price and one million copies sold. In 1975 the requirement for number of copies sold is reduced to 500,000 with $1 million in sales.
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Buck Owens records the tracks "Dont Let Her Know" and "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)" (which Capitol Records will release together as a single) as well as "Buck's Polka". All the tracks will appear on Owens' Capitol Records album "I Don't Care".
1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Yesterday And Today" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1968 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Let The World Keep On A Turning"
1990 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "The Dance", with "Friends In Low Places" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1991 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's compilation CD "Capitol Collectors Series: Tennessee Ernie Ford"
2002 - The Vines' first Capitol Records album "Highly Evolved" is released. The video for the album's first single, "Get Free", is directed by Roman Coppola.
2003 - Capitol Records releases the original motion picture soundtrack for "How To Deal" which includes tracks from Capitol Records artists Syke Sweetnam and Liz Phair

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1935 - EMI (Ireland) is formed
1935 - Steve Lawrence, singer, television and motion picture actor, and United Artists Records artist, is born Sidney Leibowitz
1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance" is tied for #12 down from #9 with The Diamonds' single "Little Darlin'" on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #17 down from #13, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is tied at #36 down from #24 with Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady". Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1966 - Arranger Gerald Wilson (on maracas) and His Orchestra (Al Porcino, Jules Chaikin, Freddie Hill, Mel Moore, and Nat Meeks on trumpet; Mike Barone, John Ewing, and Lester Robertson on trombone; Ernie Tack on bass trombone; Anthony Ortega on alto saxophone and flute; Jimmy Woods on soprano and alto saxophone; Harold Land and Teddy Edwards on tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone; William Green on flute and piccolo; Roy Ayers on vibraphone; Jack Wilson on piano; Buddy Woodson on bass; Mel Lee on drums; and Max Garduno on conga) record the tracks "Chanson Du Feu Follet (Song Of The Mad Fire)", "Blues Latinese" and "The Golden Sword" for their Pacific Jazz album "The Golden Sword" with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Lanky Linstrot at TTG Studios, in Los Angeles, California. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Pacific Jazz's catalog.
1978 - Gerry Rafferty's United Artists Records album "City to City" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1992 - Taylor Mayne Pearl Brooks, daughter of Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks and his wife Sandy Mahl Brooks, is born

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1907 - Florenz Ziegfeld stages the first Ziegfeld Follies at the roof garden of the New York Theatre in New York City, New York
1946 - Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison leave their footprints in cement at ceremony #75 at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California
1997 - Robert Zemeckis leaves his footprints in cement at ceremony #166 at Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California

JULY 7, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1917 - John Sullivan, comedian, singer, radio performer, and the second "Lonzo" (after Lloyd George left the team in 1950) in the Capitol Records duo Lonzo & Oscar, is born in Edmonton, Kentucky
85 Years Ago Today In 1924 - Mary Ford, singer, guitarist, and a Capitol Records artist as part of a duo with her husband Les Paul, is born Iris Colleen Summers in Pasadena, California
1927 - Charlie Louvin, guitarist, singer and a Capitol Records artist both solo and as part of the duo The Louvin Brothers with his brother Ira, is born Charlie Elzer Loudermilk in either Section or Henegar, Alabama. If anyone has a definitive birth place, please leave a comment.
1940 - Ringo Starr, singer, drummer, motion picture actor, animated feature voice actor, member of the groups Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, the Parlophone, Capitol, and Apple Records group The Beatles, and a solo artist on Apple Records is born Richard Parken in Liverpool, England. He later becomes Richard Starkey, Jr. after his divorced mother marries Richard Starkey. If any one knows Richard's middle name, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records single "On The Atchison, Topeka and The Santa Fe" enters Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts at #4. The track will eventually peak at #1 and be on the charts for sixteen weeks
1951 - Nat "King" Cole (with orchestra conducted by Les Baxter using an arrangement by Nelson Riddle)'s Capitol Records single "Too Young" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" is still #3, and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Josephine" is #16 up from #20
1956 - Gene Vincent and The Blue Cap's Capitol Records single "Be Bop A Lula" is still #23 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Four Freshman's Capitol Records single "Graduation Day" is #27 up from #48, Dean Martin (with Dick Stabile and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Standing On The Corner" is #29 up from #40, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "How Little We Know" is #35 down from #33, Tex Ritter's Capitol Records single "The Wayward Wind" is #37 up from #47, and Joe "Fingers" Carr's Capitol Records single "Portuguese Washerwoman" is tied for #40 up from #55 with Tommy Leonetti's single "Free"
1958 - Capitol Records releases Jean Shepard's single "He's My Baby" with "Secret Of Life" on the flip side
1958 - Dean Martin (with Dick Stabile and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Return To Me" is tied for #8 down from #6 with Jimmie Rodgers' single "Secretly" on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Nat "King' Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #13 up from #18, The Four Prep's Capitol Records single "Big Man" is #15 down from #10, The Johnny Otis Show's Capitol Records single "Willie And The Hand Jive" is #27 up from #33, and Ed Townsend's Capitol Records single "For Your Love" is tied for #31 down from #29 with Link Wray and His Ray Men's single "Rumble"
1960 - Nat "King" Cole records the tracks "I Saw Three Ships" and "A Cradle In Bethlehem", with Ralph Carmichael and His Orchestra
1963 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Act Naturally" returns to #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Arranger and pianist Onzy Matthews (with Harry "Sweets" Edison, Ollie Mitchell,Melvin Moore, John Anderson, and Bob Rolfe on trumpets; Dave Wells on bass trumpet and trombone; Lou Blackburn, Pete Myers, and Dick Leith on trombone; Gabe Baltazar on alto saxophone; Clifford Scott on alto saxophone and tenor saxophone; Curtis Amy and Alex Nelson on tenor saxophone; Jay Migliori on baritone saxophone; Ray Crawford on guitar; Jim Crutcher on bass; and Chiz Harris on drums) records the tracks "Moon River", "Down In My Soul" (which will be rejected), and "You'll Know The First Time" for his Capitol Records album "Sounds For The '60s!" with producer Lee Gillette and recording engineer Hugh Davies at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1965 - Peggy Lee, with Sid Feller and His Orchestra, records the tracks "Free Spirits", "Seventh Son", and "I Go To Sleep" with producer Dave Cavanaugh at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "Then Was Then And Now Is Now!"
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Apple Records releases Plastic Ono Band's single "Give Peace A Chance", with "Remember Love" on the flip side, with Capitol Records handling manufacturing and distribution in the United States
1973 - Apple Records releases Wings' single "Live And Let Die" (title song for the motion picture) with "I Lie Around" on the flip side. Capitol Records will handle distribution in the United States.
1975 - Capitol Records releases Natalie Cole's album "Inseparable"
1985 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single "A View To A Kill" (title song for the motion picture), with "A View To A Kill (That Fatal Kiss)" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
2001 - Fred Neil, songwriter ("Candy Man", "Everybody's Talkin'"), singer and Capitol Records recording artist (1966-1971), dies of cancer at age 65 at his home in Summerland Key, in Monoroe County, Key West, Florida
2006 - Syd Barrett, (born Roger Keith Barrett), singer, songwriter, guitarist, founder of the Tower, Harvest, Columbia and Capitol Records group The Pink Floyd, and a solo artist, dies in his home in Cambridge, England at age 60 due to complications from diabetes

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1930 - Hank Mobley, composer, tenor saxophonist, member of the Blue Note Records group The Jazz Messengers and a solo Blue Note Records artist, is born Henry Mobley in Eastman, Georgia
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - A flying bomb hit's EMI's Hayes factory in England near a surface shelter, killing 37 employees and injuring an additional 56 employees who were either in the shelter or caught in the open
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - The Bob Brookmeyer Quartet (Brookmeyer on valve trombone, John Williams on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Isola on drums) record the tracks "Isn’t It Romantic", "Doe Eyes", "Red Devil", "Body And Soul", and "Last Chance" with Brookmeyer producing with recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey for their self-titled Pacific Jazz album whose catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records
1956 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm In Love Again" is still #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Domino's Imperial Records single "My Blue Heaven" is in a 3 way tie for #31 down from #33 with Otis Williams' single "Ivory Tower" and Eddie Fisher (with Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra)'s single "On The Street Where You Live"
1958 - David Saville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor" is #10 down from #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Pool Little Fool" enters the chart at #18 in a tie with The Kalin Twins' single "When?", and Dion and The Belmonts' Laurie Records single "I Wonder Why" is tied for #25 down from #22 with Johnny Cash's single "Guess Things Happen That Way". EMI Music Group, parent company of Capitol Music Group, currently owns the Liberty, Imperial and Laurie Records catalogs.
1962 - Dinah Washington, with arranger Don Costa leading the studio orchestra, records the tracks "Fly Me To The Moon" (which will appear on her Roulette Records album "In Love"), "Wouldn't Know What To Do" (which Roulette will release as a single), "No Hard Feelings" (which will appear on her Roulette Records album "Back To The Blues"), and "1 Me And The One I Love" ( (which will also appear on her Roulette Records album "In Love") with producer Henry Glover and recording engineer Eddie Smith at Bell Sound in New York City. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Roulette Records catalog.
1962 - Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Sharing You" is #15 up from #16 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart and Dinah Washington's Roulette Records single "Where Are You" is still #40. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Liberty and Roulette Records catalogs.
2002 - Dorle Jarmel Soria, record producer, opera supporter, author, journalist, reviewer, as well as co-founder of Cetra-Soria Records and founding co-director (1953-1957) of Angel Records in the U.S. with her husband Dario Soria, dies at age 101 at her home in Manhattan, New York

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1971 - Ub Iwerks (born Ubbe Ert Iwwerks), artist, cartoon animator (hand drew the first Mickey Mouse cartoon "Plane Crazy" for Walt Disney by himself in two weeks), director and studio owner, dies of a heart attack at age 70 in Burbank, California

JULY 6, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1915 - LaVerne Andrews, singer, Capitol Records solo artist (1956-1959) and with the Capitol Records group The Andrews Sisters, is born Laverne Sophie Andrews in Minneapolis, Minnesota

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Johnny Mercer, Luana Patten and Bobby Driscoll, with arranger Billy May conducting the studio orchestra, start the first of two days of sessions for the record "Mickey Mouse And The Beanstalk" which will be released as a children's album by Capitol Records. The next session is held on July 7, 1947.
1956 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and base; Don Barbour on vocals and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocals and drums; and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone and bass), with arranger Dick Reynolds conducting the studio orchestra (Uan Rasey, Ray Triscari, Joe Triscari, Buddy Childers, and Mannie Klein on trumpet; Jack Marshall on guitar; Milt Raskin on piano; Don Simpson on bass: and Frank Carlson on drums), during two sessions held the same day for their Capitol Records album "The Four Freshman And Five Trumpets", record the tracks "The Night We Called It A Day", "Something In The Wind" and the first rejected take of "There Will Never Be Another You" at the first session and, with Pete Condoli on trumpet joining the orchestra for the second session, record "After You've Gone" and the final and accepted take of "There Will Never Be Another You". Both sessions were held in Los Angeles, Calfornia.
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "M.T.A." is #18 up from #28 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and Franck Pourcel and His French Fiddler's Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is #35 down from #23
1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" is #2 down from #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #12 down from #6, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #26 down from #16, Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #30 down from #19, The Beach Boy's Capitol Records single "Shut Down" is #31 down from #29 and its flip side, "Surfin' U.S.A.", is #36 down from #17
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Peggy Lee, with arranger Lalo Schifrin conducting the studio orchestra (Justin Gordon and Paul Horn on reeds; Robert Bain, John Pisano, and Howard Roberts on guitar; Chuck Berghofer on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stan Levey on drums; and Francisco Aguabella on bongos and congas) and producer Dave Cavanaugh, records the tracks, "There'll Be Some Changes Made", "Just Call Me Love Bird (Theme From 'Joy House')", and "Senza Fine" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. All the tracks will be released on Lee's Capitol Records album "In The Name Of Love"
1970 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "The Kansas City Song"
1971 - Louis Armstrong, trumpet player, singer, band leader, motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (on the original soundtrack albums for "A Song Is Born" and "High Society"), dies of a heart attack in Corona, Queens, New York at age 69
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - Anne Murray's Capitol Records single "He Thinks I Still Care", with a cover version of The Beatles' "You Won't See Me" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1975 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Movin' On", with "Here In 'Frisco" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1976 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records album "Grand Funk" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1997 - Greg Scott Eklund, songwriter and drummer for the Capitol Records group Everclear, marries his girlfriend Ellina, whom he met in 1990 at the University of Oregon and who convinced him to take up the drums again after a two year hiatus
1998 - Roy Rogers, singer, actor and Capitol Records recording artist, dies in his Apple Valley home in Victorville, California of congestive heart failure at age 86
2005 - Carrie V. Arnold (born Carrie Virginia Morgan), who worked for AES of Winchester and Capitol Records for 15 years, dies at her home in Winchester, Virginia at age 72

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1957 - In between sets at a show that 16 year old John Lennon was doing with his band, The Quarry Men, at the St. Peter's Church Fete in Woolton Parish, Liverpool, England, a mutual friend, Ivan Vaughan, introduces him to 15 year old Paul McCartney. After showing John how he tunes his guitar along with a few new guitar chords, and singing all the lyrics of Eddie Cochran's "Twenty Flight Rock", Lennon invites McCartney to join his band.
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #14 down from #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Dion and The Belmonts' Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #19 down from #10, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #39 down from #29. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Liberty, Laurie and Imperial Records catalogs.
1961 - The first issue of "Mersey Beat" magazine is released and features The Beatles on its cover
1963 - The Essex's Roulette Records single "Easier Said Than Done" is #1 up from #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, The Chiffons' Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #6 up from #7, and Jan and Dean's Liberty Records single "Surf City" is #7 up from #10. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Roulette, Laurie, and Liberty Records catalogs.
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Trombonist Grachan Moncur III, with Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass and Tony Williams on drums, records the tracks "Gnostic", "Thandiwa", "The Twins", and "Nomadic" for his Blue Note album "Some Other Stuff" with producer Alfred Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - United Artists releases The Beatles' first movie "A Hard Day's Night" worldwide and it premieres at 9.00 p.m. at the London Pavilion Theatre
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - ATCO Records releases The Beatles' single "My Bonnie" with "Nobody's Child" on the flip side
1965 - Future Virgin Records group The Rolling Stones' London Records single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", with "Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" on the flip side, becomes their first #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1973 - Otto Klemperer, conductor, father of actor Werner Klemperer (Colonel Klink in "Hogan's Heroes"), and EMI Classics artist, dies in Zürich, Switzerland at age 88 and is buried in the Israelitischer Friedhof — Oberer Friesenberg, also in Zürich
30 Years Ago Today In 1979 - Capitol Records artist (1976-1979) Minnie Ripperton makes her last televised appearance on an episode of "The Merv Griffin Show" that airs on this date. She performs the song "Memory Lane", featuring her enunciating the phrase "Oh Why", high in the seventh octave. She will die six days later on July 12, 1969 of breast cancer at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
1986 - Pink Floyd's compilation album "A Collection Of Great Dance Songs", originally released by Columbia in the U.S., but re-released by Capitol Records in 2000 (I replaced the legal lines and stock numbers and reformated the artwork to fit into Capitol's packaging templates), is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
155 Years Ago Today In 1854 - John Phillip Sousa, composer and leader of the Marine Corps. band, is born in Washington, DC, USA
1925 - Bill Haley, singer, guitarist, and bandleader, is born William John Clifton Haley in Highland Park, Michigan
1925 Merv Griffin, singer, composer, talk show host, television game show producer, and real estate magnate, is born Mervyn Edward Griffin, Jr. in San Mateo, California
1976 - 50 Cent, rapper, is born Curtis James Jackson III in South Jamaica, Queens, New York

JULY 5, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1935 - Richard Levitt, countertenor soloist with the Capitol Records group The Roger Wagner Chorale (1964) is born in Los Angeles, California
1943 - Robbie Robertson, guitarist, singer, songwriter, member of the Capitol Records group The Band, and a solo artist, is born Jaime Robert Robertson in Toronto, Canada

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Cootie Williams and His Orchestra (Williams and Bob Merrill on trumpet and vocals; E. V. Perry, Otis Gamble, and Billy Ford on trumpet' Clarence "Gene" Redd on trumpet and vibraphone' Ed Burke, Edward Johnson, and Julius "Hawkshaw" Watson on trombone; Rupert Cole and Daniel Williams on alto saxophone; Chuck Clarke and Edwin Johnson on tenor saxophone; Bob Ashton on baritone saxophone; Arnold Jarvis on piano; Pee Wee Tinney on guitar; Norman Keenan on bass; and Butch Ballard on drums) record the tracks "Wrong Neighborhood", "Piney Brown's Gone", "I May Be Easy But I'm No Fool" (all with vocals by just Bob Merrill), the instrumental "Vibraphobia", and "Let's Do The Whole Thing Or Nothing At All" (with vocals by just Cootie Williams) at WMCA Studios in New York City. Capitol Records will release "Wrong Neighborhood" as a single (#289) with "Let's Do The Whole Thing Or Nothing At All" on the flip side, and "I May Be Easy But I'm No Fool" as a single (#314) with "Ain't Got No Blues Today" (recorded September 11, 1946) on the flip side. The remaining tracks will finally be released in 1997 on Mosaic Records box set "Classic Capitol Jazz Session".
1947 - Red Ingle and The Natural Seven (with vocals by Cinderella G. Stump aka Jo Stafford)'s Capitol Records single "Tim-Tay-Shun" (aka "Temptation) enters the top 5 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart at #5
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Capitol Records artist Yogi Yorgesson (aka Harry Stewart) sings "Object Of My Affection" on "Command Performance" with Shirley Ross, Errol Garner, Arthur and Mark Stevens
1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s Capitol Records single "Here In My Heart" is #3 down from #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is still #14, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Somewhere Along The Way" (with "What Does It Take" on the flip side) debuts on the top 20 at #16, Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s Capitol Records single "Take My Heart" (with "I Never Cared" on the flip side) debuts at #17, and Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Smoke Rings" (with "In The Good Old Summertime" on the flip side) debuts at #20
1956 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and base; Don Barbour on vocals and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocals and drums; and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone and bass), with arranger Dick Reynolds conducting the studio orchestra (Uan Rasey, Ray Triscari, Joe Triscari, Buddy Childers, and Mannie Klein on trumpet; Jack Marshall on guitar; Milt Raskin on piano; Don Simpson on bass: and Frank Carlson on drums), during two sessions held the same day for their Capitol Records album "The Four Freshman And Five Trumpets", record the tracks "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "Someone Like You" and the first rejected take of "For Sentimental Reasons" at the first session, and a second take of "For Sentimental Reasons" (which will remain unissued until it appears on Mosaic Records' 2000 box set "The Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Sessions April, 1950-July, 1960"), "Got A Date With An Angel", "Goodnight Sweetheart" and "Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside)" at the second session. Both sessions were held in Los Angeles, Calfornia.
1960 - Nat "King" Cole records the tracks "The Happiest Christmas Tree" with Dave Cavanaugh and His Orchestra, along with "Away In A Manger" and "Silent Night" with Ralph Carmichael and His Orchestra for Capitol Records
1960 - Capitol Records releases the original motion picture soundtrack of "Bells Are Ringing" which stars Judy Holliday and Capitol Records artist Dean Martin
1963 - Pianist George Shearing (along with Gary Burton on vibraphone, Ron Anthony on guitar, Gene Cherico on bass, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Armando Peraza on congas), begins the first of two straight days of live sets at The Blackhawk, in San Francisco, California which will be recorded and released by Capitol Records on the album "Rare Form"
1965 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Only You (Can Break My Heart)" with "Gonna Have Love" on the flip side and The Beach Boys' album "Summer Days (And Summer Nights)"
1966 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' compilation album "Best Of The Beach Boys" as well as Peter & Gordon's compilation album "The Best Of Peter & Gordon" on it's The Star Line subsidiary
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Working Man Blues" enters the U.S. Country singles charts
1983 - Harry James, trumpeter, band leader, actor and Capitol Records artist (1955-1958), dies of lymphatic cancer in Las Vegas, Nevada at age 67 just nine days after his last concert appearance held in Los Angeles, California
1987 - Heart's Capitol Record single "Alone" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1992 - A bus carrying band and crew members of the Capitol Records act Helix goes off the road near Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, and plunges down a 40 foot precipice. Two crew members were seriously injured and bassist Gray escaped with minor injuries, but guitarist and co-founding member Paul Hackman was killed at age 39
2006 - Eight days after it's scheduled release, the 30th anniversary edition of The Steve Miller Band's album "Fly Like An Eagle" still isn't in stores.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1952 - Gerry Mulligan (with Chet Baker on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Joe Mondragon on bass) records two sides for Pacific Jazz. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Pacific Jazz's catalog.
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - The Bob Brookmeyer Quartet (Brookmeyer on valve trombone, John Williams on piano, Bill Anthony on bass, and Frank Isola on drums) record the tracks "Liberty Belle", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "Traditional Blues" with Brookmeyer producing and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey for their self titled album released by Pacific Jazz Records, whose catalog is now owned by Capitol Records
1962 - Dinah Washington, with arranger Don Costa, records the tracks "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me", "My Devotion", " If It's The Last Thing I Do", and "Our Love" (which Roulette Records will release on the album "In Love"), "It's A Mean Old Man's World" (which will appear on the Roulette Records album "Back to the Blues", and "Was It Like That?" (which will also be on the album "In Love") at Bell Sound, in New York City, New York. EMI Music Group currently owns Roulette's catalog and re-releases the albums on the Capitol Jazz label, a division of Blue Note Records, which is a division of Capitol Music Group.
1975 - Pink Floyd, The Steve Miller Band, and Captain Beefheart perform at a live concert at the Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire, England
30 Years Ago Today In 1978 - The City of Los Angeles declares The Pantages Theatre a historic landmark. Capitol Records would store items in space below the theatre and, in one instance, used one of its staircases leading up from the basement, which had a great view of The Capitol Tower, for a publicity photo shoot for The Beach Boys
1981 - Capitol Records group America joins Three Dog Night, former Liberty Records duo Jan and Dean, and John Sebastian in commemorating The Beach Boys' twentieth anniversary with a concert on a barge next to The Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor, California. The concert is hosted by Wolfman Jack and broadcast via satellite worldwide.
2001 - Ernie K-Doe (aka Ernest Kador, Jr.), who scored a #1 in 1961 with the Minit Records single "Mother-In-Law", written by Allen Toussaint and with "Wanted" on the flip side, dies at age 65 and, after a traditional jazz funeral, was interred in the 200-year-old Duval tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery #2, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Minit Records' catalog is currently owned by EMi Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - 19 year old Elvis Presley records the track "That's All Right (Mama)" at his first session at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The track would released as a single two weeks later on July 19, 1954 with "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" (also recorded during this two day session, along with the tracks "I Love You Because" and "Harbor Lights") on the flip side.

JULY 4, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1937 - Ray Pillow, singer, songwriter, member of The Grand Ole Opry and Capitol Records artist, is born in Lynchburg, Virginia

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS
1953 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April In Portugal is still #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Vaya Con Dios" is #6 up from #7, Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Ruby" is #15 down from #11, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Half A Photograph" is #17 down from #13 and its flip side "Allez-Vous-En" is #18 down from #15, and Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Oh!" is still #20
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "I Get Around", with "Don't Worry Baby" on the flip side, is the groups' first #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. "Don't Worry Baby" will later peak at #24.
1995 - Capitol Records releases Foo Fighters' self titled debut album

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1940 - Future Capitol Records artsts The Louvin Brothers make their debut in Flatrock, Alabama
1943 - Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, co-founder, singer and composer with the Liberty Records band Canned Heat is born Alan C. Wilson in Boston, Massachusetts. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Groups' parent company currently owns Liberty's catalog. If anyone knows Alan's middle name please leave a comment.
1952 - John Waite, singer, member of the Chrysalis Records band The Babys, and an EMI America Records solo artist, is born in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Groups' parent company currently owns the Chrysalis and EMI America Recorsd catalogs.
1955 - Future Capitol Records artist Gene Vincent, while on his Triumph motorcycle in Franklin, Virginia, is hit by a woman in a Chrysler, crushing his left leg.
1960 - The Fleetwood's Dolton Records single "Runaround" is #25 up from #29 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Young Emotion" is #26 down from #18, Don Costa and His Orchestra's United Artists Records single "Theme From 'The Unforgiven'" is #27 up from at #37, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Walking To New Orleans" re-enters the top 40 at #31 up from #46. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Imperial, Dolton and United Artist Records' catalogues.
1975 - Future Capitol Records group Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart debut their act at Six Flags Over Mid-America in St. Louis in front of an audience of 12,500 people. Capitol Records will later sign the group and release two singles and, in May 1976, the band's self-titled album.
1980 - The Beach Boys give a free outdoor performance to an estimated 500,000 people in Washington, D.C.
1981 - Kim Carnes' EMI America Records single "Bette Davis Eyes", with "Miss You Tonight" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1826 - Songwriter Stephen Foster is born Stephen Foster Collins in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
1970 - Casey Kasem hosts the radio show "American Top 40" for the first time this day.

JULY 3, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
75 Years Ago Today In 1934 - Donfeld, graphic designer (starting in 1953 at age 19 after graduating from Chouinard Art Institute) for Capitol Records and Emmy nominated television and Academy Award nominated motion picture costume designer, is born Donald Lee Feld in Los Angeles, California
1943 - Judith Duram, lead singer with the Capitol Records recording group The Seekers, is born Judith Mavis Cock in Melbourne, Australia

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Peggy Lee, with Dave Barbour and His Orchestra and Ray Linn on trumpet, record the tracks "Why Should I Cry Over You" (which Capitol Records will finally release on Lee's 2000 compilation CD "Rare Gems And Hidden Treasures"), as well as "It Takes A Long, Long Train With A Red Caboose" and "Just An Old Love Of Mine" (which Capitol will release together as single #445) in Los Angeles, California with producer Lee Gillette
1948 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is still #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Pied Pipers' Capitol Records single "My Happiness" is #7 up from #8, Pee Wee Hunt's Capitol Records single "Twelfth Street Rag" is #11 up from #14, and The Sportsmen's a cappella Capitol Records single "You Can't Be True Dear" is #15 down from #11
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "If You Love Me (Really Love Me) is #5 up from #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Three Coins In A Fountain" is still #7, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs" is #14 down from #9, and Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Young At Heart" is #17 down from #11
1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #27 down from #21 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Paperback Writer", with "Rain" on the flip side, returns to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1967 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart where it will stay for fifteen weeks
1970 - Buck Owens and Susan Raye record the track "The Great White Horse" with producer Ken Nelson that will be the title track of their Capitol Records album that is released on September 8, 1970
1972 - Mississippi Fred McDowell, blues guitarist, singer, and a Capitol Records recording artist (a one-off 1969 album, "I Do Not Play No Rock'n' Roll"), dies of cancer at age 68 in Memphis, Tennessee. CradLemoon.net has a good overview of his life and many links to discographies.
1976 - A memorial service for Johnny Mercer, Broadway, radio, and motion picture singer, actor and songwriter, and co-founder of Capitol Records, is held in his hometown, Savannah, Georgia.
1985 - John Aquilino, lead singer for the Capitol Records band (1984-1985) Icon, leaves the group and Capitol drops the band
1986 - Rudy Vallee, singer, saxophonist, bandleader and radio, television and movie actor, and Capitol Records recording artist (1954), dies at age 84 in North Hollywood, California and is interred in St. Hyacinth's Cemetery, Westbrook, Maine where his headstone was later stolen
2000 - At 11pm EDT Turner Classic Movies shows "The Wizard Of Oz" with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" on the Second Audio Program (SAP) channel to see if the two really do sync' up.
2001 - Roy Nichols, guitarist and 22-year member of Merle Haggard and The Strangers, dies in a hospital in Bakersfield, CA of a heart attack at age 68
2001 - Capitol Records and Chrysalis Records release the Jethro Tull compilation album "The Very Best Of Jethro Tull" which features 20 tracks that have been digitally remastered at 24-bit at Abbey Road Studios in London, England
2001 - Capitol Records releases a digitally remastered and enhanced version of Duran Duran's 1982 album "Rio" in a standard jewel case and in a 7,500 unit limited edition mini-sleeve
2008 - Larry Harmon, entrepreneur, television show producer and licensor, and owner of the rights to Bozo The Clown and Laurel and Hardy, dies of heart disease at age 83 at his home in Los Angeles, California.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
90 Years Ago Today In 1919 - Fred Maddox, singer, guitarist, member of the band The Maddox Brothers and Rose, and brother of Capitol Records artist Rose Maddox, is born Fred Roscoe Maddox
1935 - Webley Edwards' radio show spotlighting authentic island performances, "Hawaii Calls", begins broadcasting from Waikiki's Moana Hotel, and will run for 37 years. Webley would compile and produce a series of albums of Hawaiian music for Capitol Records
1961 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Travelin' Man" is #7 down from #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart, its flip side "Hello Mary Lou" is #15 up from #16, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "It Keeps Rainin'" is #24 up from #28. Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1962 - Dinah Washington, with arranger Don Costa conducting an unknown studio orchestra, records the tracks "Someone Else Is Taking My Place" and "He's Gone Again" (which will both appear on the Roulette Records album "Dinah Washington"), as well as "I Didn't Know About You" (released on the Roulette Records album "Three Of Us", which also featured tracks by Sarah Vaughan and Joe Williams), "There I Go" (finally released on Mosaic Records' 2004 box set "The Complete Roulette Dinah Washington Recordings"), "You're A Sweetheart", and "I'll Close My Eyes" (both also released on the Roulette Records album "Three Of Us") with producer Henry Glover and recording engineer Eddie Smith at Bell Sound in New York City, New York. Roulette Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1963 - Tenor saxophonist Harold Land, with Carmell Jones on trumpet, John Houston on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass and Mel Lee on drums, records the tracks "Tom Dooley", "Scarlet Ribbons" and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" for his Imperial Recors album "Jazz Impressions Of Folk Music" with engineer Bones Howe at Radio Recorders, in Los Angeles, California. Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1968 - John Maddox, guitarist with the group The Maddox Brothers & Rose and brother of Capitol Records artist Rose Maddox, dies at age 52
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Capitol Records artist Gordon MacRae performs "America The Beautiful" live on "The Ed Sullivan Show"
1976 - Brian Wilson performs onstage as a member of The Beach Boys, for the first time in twelve years, at concert given before 74,000 fans at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1878 - George M. Cohan, vaudeville and Broadway performer, singer, dancer, songwriter, playwright, director and producer, and a motion picture actor, is born George Michael Cohan in Providence, Rhode Island. The motion picture "Yankee Doodle Dandy" is loosely based on events from Cohan's life.
1965 - Trigger, motion picture actor and Capitol Records artist Roy Rogers' horse, dies at age 33 and is latter stuffed and put on display at the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans museum in Victorville, California
1971 - Jim Morrison, poet, songwriter and lead singer of the band The Doors, is found dead (really) at age 27 by his girlfriend, Pamela Susan Courson, at 5:00 AM in a bathtub in Paris, France from a heart attack and was buried at at Pere-Lachaise cemetery, also in Paris
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Jim Backus, writer as well as a motion picture, television, radio and cartoon voice actor, dies at age 76 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California from complications of pneumonia after suffering from Parkinson's disease for many years and is later buried in Westwood Memorial Park, Westwood, California

JULY 2, 2009

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is still #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugalo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #10 down from #8, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "A Wonderful Guy" re-enters the top 20 at #20.
1955 - Nat "King" Cole's double sided Capitol Records hit "A Blossom Fell" (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) and "If I May" (with The Four Knights on backing vocals and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) is #3 up from #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Baxter and His Orchestra and Chorus' Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #4 down from #2, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" is still #5, and Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #21 down from #19
1962 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "Work Song" with "Rags And Old Irons" on the flip side
1963 - Bobby Darin records his own composition, the track "Treat My Baby Good", arranged and conducted by Jimmy Haskell for a Capitol Records single with "Down So Long" on the flip side, with producer Nik Venet. The single peaked at #43 on the Pop Charts and #11 on the Adult charts.
1963 - The Beatles record the tracks "That's All Right (Mama)", "Carol", "Soldier Of Love" and "Clarabella" for broadcast on the BBC. The tracks will later be released by Apple Records on the album "Live At The B.B.C" with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Peggy Lee (with studio orchestra of Justin Gordon, Paul Horn, and Jules Jacobs on reeds; Milt Bernhardt and Ed Kusby on trombone; James Decker on french horn; John Pisano on guitar; Chuck Berghofer on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stan Levey on drums; and Francisco Aguabella on bongo and conga) records the tracks "Shangri-La" (arranged by Dave Grusin), "Again" (arranger unknown), and The Right To Love (Reflections)" (arranged by Lalo Schifrin) with producer Dave Cavanaugh at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "In The Name Of Love" although "Again" didn't make it on to the album and was finally released by Capitol Records on the 1998 CD "Miss Peggy Lee"
1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records album "Pet Sounds" peaks at #10 on Billboard's album charts
1990 - Capitol Records releases Poison's album "Flesh & Blood", which will peak at #2 on the album charts on August 18, 1990, and be certified triple platinum by the R.I.A.A. on February 14, 1991
1991 - Capitol Records releases Arcadia's album "So Red The Rose" and Crowded House's album "Woodface"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
90 Years Ago Today In 1919 - Fred Maddox, brother of Capitol Records artist Rose Maddox and member of the group The Maddox Brothers and Rose, is born in Boaz, Alabama
1941 - Charlie Watts, drummer with the Virgin Records group The Rolling Stones and bandleader of the group Charlie Watts and His Big Band, is born in Islington, London, England
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Nat "King" Cole and Lee Young of the Capitol Records group The King Cole Trio , with future Capitol Records artist Les Paul sitting in as a last-minute replacement for Oscar Moore, perform at the first "Jazz At The Philharmonic" concert in Los Angeles, California. Paul, who was in the army at the time and not allowed to make civilian recordings, used the pseudonym Paul Leslie and Cole, under contract to Capitol, used the pseudonym Slim Nadine when a track they performed with Illinois Jacquet, Jack McVea, J. J. Johnson, Johnny Miller, and Young, "Blues, Part 2", was released as a single (which some have sited as the first Rock 'N' Roll record)
1948 - Vibraphonist Milt Jackson, with pianist Thelonius Monk, John Simmons on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums, records the tracks "Evidence", "Misterioso" and "Epistrophy" at Apex Studios in New York City with producer Alfred Lion and engineer Rudy Van Gelder for the Blue Note Records album "Milt Jackson: Wizard Of The Vibes"
1966 - The Beatles perform the last of five concerts performed over three days at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Brian Jones, founder and lead guitarist of future Virgin Records group The Rolling Stones, dies in his swimming pool after 11PM at his home, Cotchford Farm, in Sussex, England at age 27. He will be found the next morning and many site July 3, 1969 as the day of his death. A visibly shaken band will perform 3 days later with replacement guitarist Mick Jones for a filmed outdoor benefit concert in Hyde Park.
1973 - Betty Grable, actress, dancer, singer, pin-up girl, and one-time wife (1943-1965) of Capitol Records artist Harry James, dies of lung cancer in Santa Monica, California at age 56 and is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1955 - The Lawrence Welk Show debuts on ABC-TV
1956 - Elvis Presley records the tracks "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel" in New York City for an RCA single that would be the first single to go gold on both sides
1967 - Jimmy Hendrix makes his only concert appearance at The Whisky on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California
1997 - Jimmy Stewart, motion picture actor, singer and poet, dies at his home in Beverly Hills California as the result a pulmonary embolus at age 89. He was buried on July 7, 1997 next to his wife Gloria at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Glendale, California
2003 - Former Capitol Records artist Kenny Rogers makes his debut appearance at The Hollywood Bowl

JULY 1, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
110 Years Ago Today In 1899 - Charles Laughton, motion picture actor and director, acting teacher, husband of motion picture actress Elsa Lanchester, and a Capitol Records artist, is born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England
1908 - Alvino Rey, inventor of the amplified guitar at age 15, steel pedal guitarist, popularized the use of the Sonovox to make his steel guitar "talk", bandleader, husband of Louise King of the Capitol Records recording group The King Sisters, and Capitol Records artist (1946-1959) is born Alvin McBurney in Oakland, California
1945 - Debbie Harry, singer, songwriter, Playboy Club bunny, motion picture actress, singer with the Capitol Records band The Wind In The Willows, and a Chrysalis Records artist (both with the band Blondie and as a solo artist), is born in Miami, Florida and named Deborah Ann Harry three months later when she is adopted

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Capitol Records releases to the public it's first nine 78rpm shellac singles:
101. A Side “I Found A New Baby” - Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra (with Buddy Weed on piano) with “The General Jumped At Dawn” - Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra on the B Side
102. A Side “Cow-Cow Boogie” - Freddie Slack and His Orchestra with vocal by Ella Mae Morse with “Here You Are” - Freddie Slack and his Orchestra on the B Side
103. A Side “Strip-Polka” - vocal by Johnny Mercer with “The Air-Minded Executive” - vocal Johnny Mercer on the B Side
104. A Side “Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland” - vocal Dennis Day with “Phil, The Fluters Ball” - vocal Dennis Day on the B Side
105. A Side “The Angels Cried” - vocal Martha Tilton and The Mellowaires with “I’ll Remember April” - vocal Martha Tilton with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra on the B Side
106. A Side “He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings” - vocal Connie Haines with “I'm Always Chasing Rainbows” - Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra on the B Side
107. A Side “Elk’s Parade” - Bobby Sherwood and his Orchestra with “I Don’t Know Why” - Bobby Sherwood and his Orchestra on the B Side
108. A Side “Serenade In Blue” - vocal Martha Tilton with Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra with “I’ve Got A Gal In Kalamazoo” - Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra - vocal The Mellowaires on the B Side
109. A Side “Windmill Under The Stars” - Johnnie Johnston with “Conchita Lopez” - Johnnie Johnston on the B Side
All nine releases are listed in a July 11, 1942 Billboard Magazine ad placed by Modern Music Sales Company.
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Sack)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" is #6 up from #7 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Away)" is #10 down from #6
1947 - Johnny Mercer, with The Pied Pipers (June Hutton, Clarke Yocum, Hal Hopper, Chuck Lowry), and Paul Weston and His Orchestra (Ray Linn, Ray Woods, Zeke Zarchy, and Don Anderson on trumpet; Allan Thompson, Bill Schaefer, Carl Loeffler, and Abe Lincoln on trombone; Herbie Haymer on tenor saxophone; Fred Stulce, Matty Matlock, Hap Lawson, and Lenny Hartman on reeds; Milt Raskin on piano; George Van Eps on guitar; Jack Ryan on bass; and Nick Fatool on drums), record the tracks "Don't Take Your Meanness Out On Me" (released by Capitol Records as part of the album "Willard Robinson's Deep River Music") and "School Days" (released by Capitol on the album "Campus Classics") in Los Angeles, California
1950 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Kay Starr (with Lou Busch and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Bonaparte's Retreat" enters the chart at #17 and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Nola" re-enters the charts at #19
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Capitol Records terminates its relationship with Lockwood Miller (who owns all the shares of Capitol Records of Canada Ltd. as well as the rights to the name since 1949) and forms Capitol Records Distributors of Canada Limited with head office in Toronto, a branch office in Montreal, and three independent distributors in the west part of the country
1957 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "I'm Gone" is #25 down from #24 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is #29 down from #19
1957 - Nat "King" Cole (with additional vocals by The McCoy Boys and the orchestra conducted and arranged by Billy May)'s single "Send For Me", with "My Personal Possession" (with additional vocals by The Four Knights and arranged by Nelson Riddle) on the flip side, enters Billboard's R&B singles chart which it will top for two weeks.
1958 - Harry James and His Orchestra (with James, Nick Buono, Bob Rolfe, and Ollie Mitchell on trumpet; Bob Edmondson and Ray Sims on trombone; Ernie Tack on bass trombone; Willie Smith and Herb Lorden on alto saxophone; Bob Poland and Sam Firmature on tenor saxophone; Ernie Small on baritone saxophone; Jack Perciful on piano; Dennis Budimir on guitar; Russ Phillips on bass; and Jackie Mills on drums) record the tracks "Willow Weep for Me" and "Moten Swing" (both arranged by Ernie Wilkens), "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans" and "You're My Thrill" (both arranged by James 'Jay' Hill, "I Want A Little Girl" (also arranged by Ernie Wilkens), and "The New Two O'Clock Jump" (arranged by Neal Hefti) with producer Bill Miller in Los Angeles, California for their Capitol Records album "Harry's Choice"
1963 - The Beatles record the tracks "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England with producer George Martin
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Peggy Lee, with Billy May conducting his orchestra (Justin Gordon, Paul Horn, Theodore Nash, and Maury Stein on reed; Conrad Gozzo, Manny Klein, and Ray Triscari on trumpet; Milt Bernhardt, Ed Kusby, and Kenny Shroyer on trombone; James Decker on french horn; John Pisano on guitar; Chuck Berghofer on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stan Levey on drums; and Francisco Aguabella on bongos and conga), records the tracks "Talk To Me Baby" (arranged by Dave Grusin), "Make Believe" (arranger unknown), "When In Rome" (arranged by Dave Grusin), and "The Girl From Impanema" (arranged by Billy May) with producer Dave Cavanaugh at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Captiol Records album "In The Name Of Love". I wonder if she heard any of Onzy Matthews sessions being held next door, or if Onzy listened in to Lee's session?
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Arranger, pianist and singer Onzy Matthews (with Bud Brisbois, Bobby Bryant, Melvin Moore, John Anderson, and Bob Rolfe on trumpet; Dave Wells on bass trumpet and trombone; Lou Blackburn, Pete Myers, and Dick Leith on trombones; Gabe Baltazar on alto saxophone; Clifford Scott on alto and tenor saxophone; Curtis Amy and Alex Nelson on tenor saxophone; Jay Migliori, baritone saxophone; Ray Crawford on guitar; Jim Crutcher on bass; and Chiz Harris on drums) records the tracks "Make Someone Happy", "I Thought About You", (all with Matthews on lead vocal with an overdubbed female chorus and unreleased until they appear on Mosaic Records 2007 3 CD set "Mosaic Select: Onzy Matthews") and "Ray-on Blues" (which will appear on Matthews' Capitol Records album "Sounds For The '60s") at The Capitol Tower Studios, in Hollywood, California
1966 - Dick Curless and Kay Adams record their album "A Devil Like Me Needs An Angel Like You" with produced by Buck Owens at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1967 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1968 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "Sweet Rosie Jones"
1968 - Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, releases The Main Attraction's album "And Now The Main Attraction"
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Capitol Records releases The Band's debut album "Music From Big Pink"
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Capitol Records of Canada releases "Franck Pourcel's album "The Way It Used To Be"
1976 - Natalie Cole's Capitol Records album "Natalie" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1978 - Bhaskar Menon becomes Chief Executive of EMI Music Europe and International, based in London, England, and Capitol Industries, based in the United States
1987 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' album "Magical Mystery Tour" on CD
1990 - M.C. Hammer's Capitol Records album "Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums' chart
1997 - Capitol Records releases John Hiatt's last album for the label, "Little Head"
1997 - Capitol Records releases Radiohead's debut album, "OK Computer", in the United States

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance" is #9 down from #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #13 up from #16, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is #24 up from #37,
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Trombonist and vocalist Jack Teagarden (with Don Goldie on trumpet and vocals; Henry Cuesta on clarinet; Don Ewell on piano; Stan Puls on bass; Ronnie Greb on drums) performs six (yes, six!) sets at The Roundtable in New York City, New York Set One: "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues" (incomplete and rejected), "That's A Plenty" (unissued), "Tin Roof Blues" (unissued), "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" (unissued), "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You/I Can't Get Started" (unissued)"South Rampart Street Parade" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse), "Mixed Emotions" (unissued), and "Jazz Me Blues" (rejected)
Set Two: "Fidgety Feet" (rejected), "Basin Street Blues" (unissued), "Big Noise From Winnetka" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse), "When" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse)
Set Three: "South Rampart Street Parade" (rejected), "Stars Fell on Alabama/When A Woman Loves A Man" (unissued), "Honeysuckle Rose" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse"), "Sweet Georgia Brown" (unissued), "Junk Man" (unissued), "Lover" (with Sol Yaged on clarinet, unissued)
Set Four: "Original Dixieland One-Step" (unissued), "St. James Infirmary (instrumental version)" (unissued), "Royal Garden Blues" (unissued), "Stardust" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's albums "At The Roundhouse and "The World of Jack Teagarden"), "Jada" (unissued), "When The Saints Go Marching In" (vocal by Teagarden and Goldie, rejected), "Atlanta Blues" (unissued), "(Back Home Again In) Indiana" (unissued)
Set Five: "St. James Infirmary" (vocal by Teagarden and released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's albums "At The Roundhouse and "The World of Jack Teagarden"), A Hundred Years From Today" (vocal by Teagarden, unissued), "14200 St. Louis Blues (vocal by Teagarden and released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse"), "Lulu's Back In Town" (rejected), and "Tap Room Blues" (rejected)
Set Six (no audience): "Ol' Man River" (with Teagardeon on baritone horn, unissued), "Lulu's Back In Town" (rejected take one), "Lulu's Back In Town" (take two, unissued), "When The Saints Go Marching In" (with vocals by Teagarden and Goldie and released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's albums "At The Roundhouse and "The World of Jack Teagarden"), "Tap Room Blues" (rejected), "Big Noise From Winnetka" (rejected), "Riverboat Blues" (with vocals by Teagarden, unissued), and "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues" (unissued). All the sessions are recorded by Roulette Records and will finally be released by Mosaic Records on the 2003 box set "The Complete Roulette Jack Teagarden Sessions".
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - United Artist Records announces that The Beatles' soundtrack to "A Hard Days Night" has sold 1 million copies in just 4 days
1966 - The Beatles play three performances at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan which are subsequently released on the bootleg album "Three Nights in Tokyo"
1968 - There are two conflicting reports about John Lennon and Yoko Ono for this date. The first reads that John Lennon publicly declares his love for Yoko Ono at the opening of his first art exhibition in London, England. The other states that John Lennon and Yoko Ono are hospitalized after an auto accident in Scotland. If anyone knows for sure what happened, please leave a comment.
1975 - Ringo Starr divorces his wife Maureen Cox

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1897 - Three years after the first issue of Billboard Advertising was published, the monthly publication is renamed to The Billboard

JUNE 30, 2009

REST IN PEACE
2009 - Harve Presnell, singer, Broadway, Television and Motion Picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (as part of the Roger Wagner Chorale and on the original Broadway cast album "The Unsinkable Molly Brown") has died of pancreatic cancer at age 74 at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
70 Years Ago Today In 1939 - Janet H. Shifflett, machinist for fifteen years at Capitol Records and for Audiopak for seven years, is born Janet Henry in Warren County, Virginia
1944 - Glenn Shorrock, singer with the Capitol Records group The Little River Band, is born in Rochester, England
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Andy Scott, guitarist with the Capitol Records group The Sweet, is born Andrew Scott in Wrexham, Wales, United Kingdom

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - It's a busy day for drummer Zutty Singleton as he and his Creole Band (Norman Bowden on trumpet, Shorty Haughton on trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Fred Washington on piano, Bud Scott on guitar, and Ed Garland on bass) record the tracks "Oh, Didn't He Ramble" and "Crawfish Blues", and at the same session, with his trio (Singleton on drums, Bigard on clarinet, and Washington on piano), record a couple of takes of "Barney's Bounce" and "Lulu's Mood". All the tracks will be released by Capitol Records.
1947 - Freddie Slack (on piano and celeste, with Gene Englund on bass, and Dave Coleman on drums), records the tracks "Humoresquire" (with Hilmer "Tiny" Timbrell on guitar) and "Celeste Boogie" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records, but the tracks would remain unreleased until included in the 2005 Mosaic Records 3 CD set "Mosaic Select: Freddie Slack".
1951 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young" (with "That's My Girl" on the flip side) is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" is #3 down from #2, and Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Mockin' Bird Hill" is #17 down from #9, and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Josephine" entes the top 20 at #20
1955 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger Nelson Riddle leading an unknown studio orchestra, records the track "I Thought About You" written by Jimmy Van Husen with lyrics by Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California for his Capitol Records album "songs for swingin' lovers!"
1956 - Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps' Capitol Records single "Be Bop A Lula" enters the top 40 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart at #23 up from #43, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "How Little We Know" enters the top 40 tied at #33 (up from #53) with Little Richard's single "Slippin' And A Sliddin'", Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Poor People Of Paris" is #37 down from #31, and Dean Martin's Capitol Records single "Standing On The Corner" is in a three way tie at #40 (down from #34) with Kay Starr's single "Second Fiddle" and Eddie Fisher (with Hugo Winterhalterr and His Orchestra)'s single "On The Street Where You Live"
1960 - Arranger and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman (with Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Conte Candoli, Lee Katzman on trumpet; Frank Rosolino and Lew McCreary on trombone; Ken Shroyer on bass trombone; Vince DeRosa and John Cave on french horn; Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy on alto saxophone; Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins on tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Joe Mondragon on bass; and Mel Lewis on drums) records the tracks "Speak Low", "Lush Life", "Shadrack", and "In A Sentimental Mood" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for his Capitol Records album "Bill Holman - Great Big Band"
1972 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Everybody's Had the Blues Sometimes" hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1973 - George Harrison's Apple Records single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)", with "Miss O'Dell" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, knocking Paul McCartney and Wings' Apple Records single "My Love", with "The Mess" on the flip side, out of the top spot after a 4 week stay, and will itself be knocked out of the following week by Billy Preston's A&M single "Will It Go Round In Circles" with Preston's version of Lennon and McCartney's "Blackbird" on the flip side.
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - Anne Murray's Capitol Records single "He Thinks I Still Care" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
25 Years Ago Today In 1984 - Tina Turner's Capitol Records album Private Dancer enters Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1995 - Capitol Records Nashville artist Garth Brooks buries the glass master of his LP "The Hits" beneath his star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was the first time something like this had been done.
2003 - An article in the Los Angeles Times states that Capitol Records pays a dime per square foot in property taxes for The Capitol Tower with an annual tax payment of $11,000. Doing the math, it works out that the total "official" square footage of The Capitol Tower is 110,000 square feet.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1917 - Lena Horne, singer, motion picture and television actress, and United Artists Records artist (1965-1966) is born Lena Mary Calhoun Horne in Brooklyn, New York
1931 - Andrew Hill, pianist and Blue Note Records artist, is born in Chicago, Illinois
1953 - Pianist and vocalist Amos Milburn (with Noble Watts on tenor saxophone, Paul Williams on alto and baritone saxophone, Mickey Baker on guitar and an unknown bass player and drummer) records the tracks "Let's Have A Party", "Without Someone To Call Your Own", "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" (without Watts on saxophone), and "Sorrowful Heart" at Audio Video Studios, in New York City, New York for his Aladdin Records album "Let's Have A Party"
1956 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm In Love Again" is still #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and its flip side, "My Blue Heaven", is #22 down from #21. Imperial Records' catalogue is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1962 - Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Sharing You" is #16 up from #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Dion's Laurie Records single "Lovers Who Wander" is #30 down from #14, and Dinah Washington's single "Where Are You" is # 40 down from #36 up from #46. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Laurie, Liberty, and Roulette Records catalogs.
1963 - Arranger Onzy Matthews (with Dupree Bolton on trumpet; Earl Anderza on alto saxophone; Hadley Caliman on tenor saxophone; Roosevelt Wardell on piano; Clarence Jones on bass; and Chuck Carter on drums) records the tracks "Joe And I" and "Midnite Lament" at Pacific Jazz Studios, in Los Angeles, California. The tracks will remain unreleased until they became part of the 2007 Mosaic Records 3 cd set "Mosaic Select: Onzy Matthews"
25 Years Ago Today In 1984 - Rupert Perry's last day as president of EMI America Records. The next day he will become executive assistant to the chairman of EMI Music Worldwide, based in Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1939 - Future Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra makes his first appearance with future Capitol Records artist Harry James’ band at a show held at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland
1956 - The Goons' Parlophone Records single "I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas" enters the UK singles charts
1963 - Brian Epstein signs The Foremost
2006 - "The Beatles LOVE", the latest Cirque du Soleil production which celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles, holds it's Gala Premiere at The Mirage in Las Vegas and Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison are expected to attend. This joint artistic venture marks the first time that The Beatles' company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. Sir George Martin, The Beatles' original producer, and his son Giles Martin have been working with the entire archive of Beatles recordings to create the musical component for "LOVE". Apple Corps Ltd. will later release the show's soundtrack album through EMI Music. For more info go to issue 60 of Beatlefan online.

JUNE 29, 2009

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1950 - Mel Blanc records the tracks "Yosemite Sam" and "I Taut I Taw A Puddy Tat" for the double disc Capitol Records children's record "Bugs Bunny Sings". The two tracks will also be released as a single with a picture sleeve in 1951 and "I Taut I Taw A Puddy Tat" would peak at #9 on Billboard's singles chart and be one of the top 20 songs of the year. The song was produced by Alan Livingston. Livingston, with Billy May and Warren Foster, would also write the lyrics and May would write, arrange and conduct the music.
1951 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocal, trombone, and bass; Don Barbour on vocal and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocal and drums; and Hal Kratzsch on vocal, tumpet, mellophone, and bass) record the tracks "It's A Blue World" and "Tuxedo Junction" (which will be released by Capitol Records as Capitol single #2152) as well as "Intermission Riff" (which will finally be released when it appears on 2000 Mosaic Records box set "The Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Sessions April, 1950-July, 1960") with producer Voyle Gilmour at Capitol's Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Franck Pourcell and His French Fiddlers' Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is #23 down from #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "M.T.A." enters the top 40 at #28 up from #49
1960 - Arranger and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman (with Al Porcino, Conte Candoli, Lee Katzman, and Ray Triscari on trumpet; Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca on tenor saxophone; Charlie Kennedy, Joe Maini, and Richie Kamuca on alto saxophone; Frank Rosolino, Lew McGreery, and Vern Friley on trombone; Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Joe Mondragon on bass; Kenny Shroyer on bass trombone; and Mel Lewis on drums) record the tracks "Quickstep", "The Moon Is Blue", and "June Is Busting Out All Over" for his Capitol Records album "Bill Holman's Great Big Band" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" (with "Anoko No Namaewa Nantenkana" on the flip side) is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Nat "King" Cole's single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #6 up from #7, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #16 down from #11, The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfin' U.S.A." is #17 down from #16, Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #19 down from #9, and The Beach Boys' single "Shut Down" (the flip side of "Surfin' U.S.A." is #29 down from #23
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Capitol Records releases Nat "King" Cole's single "Marnie" based on music from the soundtrack of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, with "More And More Of Your Amour" on the flip side
1967 - Wanda Jackson records the track "No Place To Go But Home" with producers Ken Nelson and Kelso Herston for her Capitol Records album "Cream Of The Crop" and "You Created Me" with Nelson, Herston and George Richy producing for her Capitol Records album "Wanda Jackson Country!" at Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee
1968 - Capitol Records subsidiary Tower Records releases Pink Floyd's second album "A Saucerful Of Secrets"
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Capitol Records releases Paul McCartney's "Flowers In The Dirt" album
10 Years Ago Today In 1999 - Capitol Records releases Grand Funk Railroad's anthology album "Thirty Years Of Funk"
2002 - Rosemary Clooney, singer, motion picture and television actress, wife of Capitol Records artist (original Broadway cast album for "Cyrano de Bergerac") Jose Ferrer, lover of arranger and Capitol Records artist Nelson Riddle, and a Capitol Records artist (on a duet album with Bing Crosby), dies at age 74 of lung cancer at her home in Beverly Hills, California. Her home, formerly the home of lyricist Ira Gershwin, has been demolished by a new owner.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1916 - Porky Freeman, guitarist and Western Swing bandleader who gave future Capitol Records artist Merle Travis his first job after Travis moved to California, is born Quilla Hugh Freeman, in Vera Cruz, Missouri
1943 - Little Eva, singer (best known for "The Loco-Motion", which was later covered by Capitol Records group Grand Funk Railroad and future Capitol Records artist Kyle Minogue), is born Eva Narcissus Boyd in Belhaven, North Carolina
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #8 down from #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, Dion and The Belmonts' Dolton Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #10 down from #8, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #29 down from #18. EMI Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company, currently owns the Liberty, Dolton, and Imperial Records catalogues.
1963 - The Essex's Roulette Records single "Easier Said Than Done" is #5 up from #15 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, The Chiffon's Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #7 up from #10, Jan And Dean's Liberty Records single "Surf City is #10 up from #20, and Lou Christie's Roulette Records single "Two Faces Have I" is #26 down from #14. Roulette, Laurie, and Liberty Records' catalogs are currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1963 - Del Shannon's cover of The Beatles' tune "From Me To You" enters Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first Lennon/McCartney song to appear on the U.S. charts
1986 - Dan Seal's EMI America Records single "Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold)", with "So Easy To Need" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts. EMI America's Country catalog is currently being distributed by Capitol Records Nashville.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
90 Years Ago Today In 1919 - Slim Pickens, motion picture actor ("Blazing Saddles", "Dr. Strangelove...", "1941", etc.), is born Louis Bert Lindley Jr., in Kingsburg, California. Let the whoopin' and a hollerin' commence! :)
1940 - Victor Records releases Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra's single "I'll Never Smile Again", It will be the band's first big hit with future Capitol Records artists Frank Sinatra and The Pied Pipers as vocalists. The track had been recorded on May 23, 1940 in New York City and will become the first #1 on Billboard's first top 10 selling chart on July 20, 1940, and would be both Sinatra and The Pied Piper's first #1 on any charts. The instrumental "Marcheta" is on the flip side.
1963 - Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, at ceremony #123, leave their footprints in cement at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California
1967 - Jayne Mansfield, singer and actress on Broadway and in motion pictures, is killed at age 34 in an auto accident on U.S. Highway 90 on her way from an engagement at a supper club in Biloxi, Misssissippi to a TV interview in New Orleans, Louisiana. Also killed is Mansfield's driver and her divorce lawyer, and suffering minor injuries are three of Manfield's children including future "Law & Order S.V.U." actress Mariska Hargitay.
1983 - Sylvester Stallone, at ceremony #148, leaves his footprints in cement at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California

JUNE 28, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1907 - Jimmy Mundy, tenor saxophonist, arranger (for both sides of Capitol Records' first released single, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra's "I Found A New Baby" and "The General Jumped At Dawn"), and songwriter (including "Travlin' Light" with lyricst and Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer), is born in Cincinnati, Ohio
1923 - Pete Candoli, Capitol Records session trumpet player (with arrangers Billy May, Nelson Riddle, Don Costa, Gordon Jenkins, and Axel Stordahl; on albums by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Stan Kenton, and more) and husband (1960-1971) of one time Capitol Records artist Betty Hutton, is born Walter Joseph Candoli in Mishawaka, Indiana. There's a great biographic article about Candoli on the Jazz Professional website.
1926 - Mel Brooks, drummer, comedian, Broadway playright and producer, television and motion picture screenwriter, director, producer and actor, and a Capitol Records artist (with Carl Reiner on the "2000 Year Old Man" series of comedy albums), is born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York.
1936 - Tom Drake (aka Steven Yates), guitarist, singer, songwriter and founder of the Capitol Records group The Good Time Singers, is born Thomas Y. Drake in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1950 - Jess Stacy and His Trio (Jess Stacy on piano, George Van Eps on guitar, Morty Corb on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums) records the tracks "Careless" (which went unissued until it appeared on the 1997 Mosaic box set "Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions"), "I'll Be Seeing You" (which will be released by Capitol on the album "Classics In Jazz - Piano Stylists"), as well as "Can't We Be Friends" and "Imagination" (which Capitol Records will release together as a single)
1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Mondy Kelly)'s Capitol Records single "Here In My Heart" is #2 down from #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is #14 up from #19, and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Carioca" is still #18
1957 - The Andrews Sisters finish recording tracks for their Capitol Records album "Fresh And Fancy Free" with arranger Billy May conducting the studio orchestra at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "I Get Around", with "Don't Worry Baby" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1965 - Red Nichols, cornet player, band leader and Capitol Records artist (1956-1960), dies after a sudden heart attack in his suite at the Mint Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he and his band were performing. His ashes are later interred in the Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills cemetery. There's a nice biographic article by "Dr. Progresso" on the Hole In The Web site.
1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' album "Summer Days (And Summer Nights), produced by Brian Wilson. The album will enter Billboard's Hot 200 album charts on July 24, 1965, my fifth birthday, and contains the hits "Help Me, Rhonda" and "California Girls".
1965 - Merle Haggard records the tracks "Longer You Wait", "I Can't Stand Me", and "Bottle Let Me Down" at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with producers Ken Nelson and Fuzzy Owen and The Strangers (Roy Nichols, Glen Campbell, Lewis Talley, and Jack Collier on guitar, James Burton on guitar/dobro, Ralph Mooney on steel guitar, Bob Morris, Bert Dodson, Jerry Ward on bass, Helen Price and James Gordon on drums, George French, Glenn D. Hardin on piano, Bonnie Owens and Billy Mize on additional vocals) for Haggard's Capitol Records album "Swinging Doors And The Bottle Let Me Down"
1965 - After the recording session, Capitol Records recording artists Bonnie Owens and Merle Haggard are married in Tijuana, Mexico
1966 - Jackie Gleason conducts the orchestra as they record the track "A Taste Of Honey" for Gleason's Capitol Records album "A Taste Of Brass - For Lovers Only"
1967 - Wanda Jackson records the track "Girl Don't Have To Drink To Have Fun" at Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producers Ken Nelson & Kelso Herston for Jackson's Capitol Records album "Cream Of The Crop"
1985 - Mischa Spoliansky (born Dec 28, 1898 in Russia), British composer who wrote the scores for several British films including "Saint Joan" (1957) whose soundtrack was released by Capitol Records, dies of natural causes in London, England at age 86 .
1988 - Poison's Capitol Records album "Open Up And Say Ahh!" is certified Gold and Platinum by the R.I.A.A.
1992 - Howard Roberts, guitarist and Capitol Records artist (1963-1969), dies in Seattle, Washington at age 62
1993 - The first recording session for Frank Sinatra's "Duets" album is held at The Capitol Tower Studios, but slight case of laryngitis and anxiety about being isolated in a sound booth causes Sinatra not to be able to perform. But four days later, after a special platform is built amongst the musicians and a hand mike is used for his vocals, Sinatra feels at ease and records nine tracks in five hours.
1997 - Mrs. Miller (born Elva Ruby Connes), Capitol Records artist, dies at age 89 in Vista, California
2005 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's greatest hits album "Back To The Start"
2006 - Capitol Records artist Corinne Bailey Rae appears on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Roger Gambill, singer, member of The Kingston Trio (1973-1985) after they group left Capitol Records, is born
1967 - The motion picture "The Family Way", with musical score composed by Paul McCartney, premieres in the United States
1991 - "Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio" debuts at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral. McCartney co-wrote the 90-minute work with American-born composer Carl Davis to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Liverpool's Royal Philharmonic. The piece will later be released by Capitol Recorsd on an album.
2001 - The Country Radio Broadcasters awards former Capitol Records artist Buck Owens their Career Achievement Award with Brad Paisley making the presentation

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS
1902 - Richard Rodgers, Broadway and motion picture composer (first with lyricst Lorenz Hart, then with Oscar Hammerstein II, and then on his own) is born Richard Charles Rodgers in New York City, New York. Capitol Records released the original Broadway cast album for Rodgers' "No Strings". His works have also been covered by many Capitol Records artist and are the basis for two compilation CDs released by Capitol - "Isn't It Romantic: Capitol Sings Rodgers and Hart" and "Hello, Young Lovers: Capitol Sings Rogers and Hammerstein".
1937 - Sonja Henie leaves her skate prints in cement at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California at ceremony #38
1985 - Route 66, the 59 year-old highway of 2,200 miles of blacktop and inspiration for Bobby Troup's song "Route 66" and the television show of the same name, whose instrumental theme song was written and recorded by Capitol Records artist Nelson Riddle and released by Capitol, is decertified as a U.S. highway

JUNE 27, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
85 Years Ago Today In 1924 - Lloyd George (aka Ken Marvin), singer, guitarist, banjo and mandolin player, Capitol Records artist (1949 - as the first Lonzo in the Country duo Lonzo and Oscar and as a solo artist using the name Ken Marvin) and Imperial Records artist (1962 - using his own name), is born Lloyd Leslie George in Cordova, Walker County, Alabama. Peter J. Gossett runs a comprehensive site on the life of Lloyd George.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Bruce Johnston, Grammy award winning songwriter, keyboardist, bass player and vocalist with The Capitol Records band The Beach Boys, born Benjamin Baldwin in Peoria, Illinois on June 24, 1944, is adopted and has his name changed to Bruce Arthur Johnston
1947 - Jo Stafford records the tracks "Fuedin' And Fightin'" with The Starlighters and Paul Weston's Mountain Boys and "Love And The Weather with Paul Weston and His Orchestra which will be released together as a single by Capitol Records
1953 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April In Portugal is still #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Vaya Con Dios" is #7 up from #10, Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Ruby" is still at #11, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Half A Photograph" is #13 up from #15 and its flip side "Allez-Vous-En" enters the top 20 at #15, and Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Oh!" enters the chart at #20
1957 - Composer and arranger Johnny Richards begins three days of sessions (the other two being July 8 and 11, 1957) with musicians Burt Collins, Jerry Kail, Paul Cohen, and Doug Mettome on trumpets; Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, and Frank Rehak on trombones; Al Antonucci on French horn; Jay McAllister on tuba; Gene Quill on alto saxophone; Frank Socolow on tenor saxophone; Billy Slapin on baritone saxophone and piccolo; Shelly Gold on bass saxophone; Hank Jones on piano; Chet Amsterdam on bass; Maurice Marks on drums; and Willie Rodriguez on tympani, for his Capitol Records album "Wide Range" in New York City, New York
1960 - Capitol Records releases Wanda Jackson's single "Let's Have A Party" with "Cool Love" on the flip side
1961 - Peggy Lee, with arranger Quincy Jones conducting the studio orchestra (an unknown flute french horn and string sections, Dennis Budimir on guitar, Max Bennett on bass, Victor Feldman on piano and vibraphones, Stan Levey on drums, and Francisco "Cino" Ponzo on bongos and congas) records the tracks "Smile" and "I Get Along Without You Very Well" with producer Dave Cavanaugh at the last session for her Capitol Records album "If You Go" which was held in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1961 - Singer Nancy Wilson and alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, with Nat Adderley on cornet, Louis Hayes on drums, Sam Jones on bass and Joe Zawinul on piano, begin two days (the next being June 29, 1961) of recording sessions with producers Tom Morgan and Andy Wiswell in New York City, New York for their Capitol Records album "Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley" which will be released in September 1962
1962 - Jackie Gleason's Capitol Records albums "Music, Martinis and Memories" and "Music for Lovers Only" are both certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. as is The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records album "String Along"
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Peter and Gordon's Capitol Records single "World Without Love" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the song is the first written by the duo, and not performed by The Beatles, to top the chart.
1966 - Capitol Records releases Kay Starr's final album for the label "Tears And Heartaches/Old Records" which was produced by Lex De Azevedo
1966 - Jack Gleason conducts his orchestra as they record "The Shadow Of Your Smile" for his album "How Seet It Is - For Lovers" with PeeWee Erwin on trumpet
1966 - Capitol Records subsidiary Tower Records releases Mae West's album "Way Out West"
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - More than 22,000 people pay their respects to Judy Garland at a memorial service at Campbell's Funeral Chapel in New York. She was laid to rest at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York
1980 - Barney Bigard, clarinet player, Capitol Records session musician (on tracks by Capitol Records artists Zutty Singleton, Sonny Greer, Freddie Slack, Peggy Lee, and Ella Fitzgerald) and member of the group The Capitol Jazzmen, dies in Culver City, California at age 74
1993 - Garth Brooks Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "That Summer", with "Dixie Chicken" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
2000 - The Kottonmouth King's second Capitol Records album, "High Society", is released
2006 - MTV proclaims today "Headly Sucks Day" as they premiere an "MTV Diary" at 7PM EDT on the Canadian band who recently signed with Capitol Records and whose debut disc for the label is due out on August 29, 2006
2006 - Capitol Records releases a special deluxe CD single of The Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations" with 5 versions of the song and the original flip side "Let's Go Away For Awhile" to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the song's release. Check out Michael deMartin's Pet Blog for more info and a lot of fun stuff.
2006 - Capitol was also to release a 30th anniversary edition of The Steve Miller Band's album "Fly Like An Eagle" on DVD with 5.1 surround sound coming as close as currently possible to (and maybe even surpassing) the album's original quadrophonic mix, but as of 5:00 PM 06-28-06 it still hasn't shown up at the Virgin Megastore at Sunset and Crescent Heights or Tower Records in Glendale, CA.
2008 - Leonard Pennario, classical pianist, composer and Capitol, Angel and Columbia Records artist, dies of complications from Parkinson's disease at age 83 in La Jolla, California. http://www.leonardpennario.com and http://www.pennario.org are two great websites with more information on this Buffalo born child prodigy who was active until his death.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1960 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Young Emotion" is still #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, The Fleetwood's Dolton Records single "Runaround" (with "Truly Do" on the flip side) enters the top 40 at #29 up from #41, and Don Costa and His Orchestra's United Artists Records single "Theme From 'The Unforgiven'" (with "Streets Of Paris" on the flip side) enters at #37 up from #44. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Imperial, Dolton and United Artist Records' catalogues.
1963 - Paul McCartney drops by a recording session of Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, who are recording two Lennon-McCartney songs, "Bad to Me" and "I Call Your Name"
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Jan and Dean's Liberty Records single "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena", with "My Mighty G.T.O" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, after being released on June 8, 1964, and will eventually peak at #3
1981 - Kim Carnes EMI America Records album "Mistaken Identity" hits #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, knocking out REO Speedwagon's album "Hi Infidelity" which had been #1 for 14 weeks. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1986 - EMI America Records releases Queensrÿche's album "Rage For Order". EMI America's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1885 - Chichester Bell and Charles S. Tainter apply for a patent on the gramophone, which will be granted on May 4, 1886
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beatles' Swan Records single "Sie Leibt Dich", with "I'll Get You" on the flip side, peaks at #97 on Billboard's singles chart
1971 - The Filmore East in New York City is closed by promoter Bill Graham. The Beach Boys, The Allman Brothers, The J. Geils Band, and Mountain are among the acts performing on the venue's final night.
1976 - John Lennon receives his "Green Card", number A17-597-321
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Tom Jones, singer, television variety show host, and motion picture actor, is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
2002 - John Entwistle, bassist for the band The Who, dies in Las Vegas, Nevada of a heartattack induced by cocaine one day before the scheduled first show of the band's 2002 US tour

JUNE 26, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Colin Greenwood, bass player and keyboardist for the Capitol Records band Radiohead, is born Colin Charles Greenwood in Oxford, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1948 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #3 down from #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Pied Piper's Capitol Records single "My Happiness" is still #8, and The Sportsmen's a capella Capitol Records single "You Can't Be True, Dear" is still #11, Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Twelfth Street Rag" enters the top 20 at #14, and The Sportsmen's Capitol Records single "Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)" (the flip side of "You Can't Be True, Dear") re-enters the top 20 at #20
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)" is still at #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Three Coins In The Fontain" is still #7, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Answer Me, My Love" is still #11, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Young At Heart" is #11 up from #13 down from #7, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs" is #14 down from #8, and Stan Freberg's Capitol Records single "Point Of Order" is #15 up from #20
1958 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the studio orchestra (which includes Bill Miller on piano), records the tracks "Goodbye" "It's A Lonesome Old Town", and "One For My Baby" for his Capitol Records album "Only The Lonely" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #21 down from #19 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Peggy Lee records the tracks "After You've Gone", "C'est Magnifique", "My Sin', and "In The Name Of Love" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "In The Name Of Love" with producer Dave Cavanaugh and Robert Bain, John Pisano, and Howard Roberts on guitars; Chuck Berghofer on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stan Levey on drums; and Francisco Aguabella on bongos and conga drum
1966- Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Think Of Me", with "Heart Of Glass" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1968 - Ziggy Elman (born Harry Finkelman), trumpet player, bandleader, songwriter (co-wrote "And The Angels Sing" with future Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer), and a Capitol Records session musician (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra, Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra and others) and solo artist, dies in Van Nuys, California at age 54
1967 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Your Tender Loving Care" with "What A Liar I Am" on the flip side
1988 - Tanya Tucker's Capitol Records single "If It Don't Come Easy", with "I'll Tennessee You In My Dreams" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1996 - Capitol Records Nashville artist Garth Brooks set an all time record at Fan Fair, in Nashville, Tennessee, when he signs autographs for twenty-three consecutive hours
2000 - Edmund E. Nielsen, manager for Capitol Records and record distributor in Hawai‘i, dies in San Antonio, Texas, at age 80
2006 - Gloria Jean Bernard, (born Gloria Jean Swanson) Capitol Records employee in Los Angeles, California before moving to Deluth, Minnesota where she worked for St. Luke Hospital, University of Minnesota, and the Bureau of Mines, dies at age 72 in Edinburg, Virginia

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1933 - The Kraft Music Hall debuts on radio with future Capitol Records artist Paul Whiteman as its first host. Whiteman's radio orchestra would give first national exposure to many future Capitol Records artists including co-founder Johnny Mercer, who replaced future Capitol Records artist Bing Crosby (who was part of The Delta Rhythm Boys), and trombonist and singer Jack Teagarden who would sing with Mercer on the show. The show would go on to have many hosts including Al Jolson and Bing Crosby, and transtition to televison in 1949 with hosts including Milton Berle, David King, and Perry Como.
1953 - Future Capitol Records artist Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe, who at one time was signed to Capitol Records but never recorded for the label, leave their footprints in cement at Graumann's Chineses Theatre in Hollywood, California at ceremony #104
1961 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Travelin' Man" is #5 down from #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and it's flip side "Hello Mary Lou" is #16 up from #17, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "It Keeps Rainin'" is #28 up from #40, and The Fleetwood's Dolton Records single "Tragedy" is #31 down from #20
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beatles' soundtrack of "A Hard Day's Night", as well as the single "And I Love Her", with "Ringo's Theme" on the flip side, are released by United Artists Records. Capitol Records eventually buys the UA catalog and re-releases the album on Capitol.
2007 - Infinity Entertainment releases a DVD set containing 30 episodes of Larry Harmon's Bozo The Clown

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1956 - Clifford Brown, trumpet player and Blue Note Records solo artist, dies in an auto accident at age 25. Also killed in the accident is pianist Richard Powell (brother of Bud Powell), and Richard's wife.
2003 - The R.I.A.A. starts to identify individual computer users who are, "illegally offering to 'share' substantial amounts of copyrighted music over peer-to-peer networks" to bring suit against them

JUNE 25, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1952 - Tim Finn, Capitol Records solo artist (1989) and member the bands Split Enz (1972-1984) and Capitol Records band Crowded House (1992), is born Brian Timothy Finn in Te Awamutu, New Zealand

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby It's Cold Outside is #4 up from #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugalo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #8 up from #10
1950 - Woody Herman and His Orchestra (Herman on clarinet and alto saxophone; Doug Mettome, Conte Candoli, Don Ferraro, and Rolf Ericson on trumpet; Herb Randel, Bill Harris, and Jerry Dorn on trombone; Phil Urso, Buddy Wise, and Bob Graf on tenor saxophone; Marty Flax on baritone saxophone; Dave McKenna on piano; Red Mitchell on bass; and Sonny Igoe on drums) record the tracks "Music To Dance To" (arranged by Al Cohn), "The Nearness Of You" (arranged by Ralph Burns), and "Sonny Speaks" (also arrnged by Al Cohn) at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. "The Nearness of You" and "Sonny Speaks" will be released by Capitol Records on the album "Woody Herman - Classics In Jazz' and "Music To Dance To" will be released on a single by Capitol with "Johannesburg", recorded in Chicago by the same line up on August 5, 1950
1951 - Billy May and His Orchestra record the track "All Of Me" which Capitol Records will release as a single with "Lean Baby" (recorded on August 22, 1951) on the flip side on September 24, 1951
55 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Tommy Collins, at his first Capitol Records recording session, waxes the tracks "You Gotta Have A Licence", "Let Me Love You", "There Will Be No Other", and "I Love You More And More Each Day". All songs were written by Collins.
1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra and Chorus' Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is still #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Nat "King" Cole's double sided Capitol Records hit "A Blossom Fell" (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) and "If I May" (with The Four Knights on backing vocals and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) is #4 down from #3, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" is #5 up from #6, and Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #19 down from #16
1964 - The Beach Boys record the tracks "The Man With All The Toys", "Santa's Beard", "Merry Christmas, Baby" (which they'll finish up on June 30, 1964), and "Christmas Day (which features Al Jardine's first lead vocal for the group and which they'll finish recording on June 27, 1964)" at Western Studios in Hollywood, California for their 1964 Capitol Records album "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album"
1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Paperback Writer", with "Rain" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1967 - The Beatles' track "All You Need is Love" is recorded during "Our World", a two hour worldwide live television broadcast, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios, in London, England.
1976 – Johnny Mercer (born John Herndon Mercer), lyricist, composer, singer, radio variety show host, and co-founder of Capitol Records and The Songwriters Hall of Fame, dies at age 66 in Los Angeles, California of complications after surgery for brain cancer, which had left him paralyzed and unable to speak for months, in a guest house at his home in Bel Air, California. His body was later cremated and his ashes buried in the family plot in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. "...and the angels sing"
20 Years Ago Today In 1988 - Hillel Slovak, guitarist for EMI America Records band The Red Hot Chili Peppers, dies of a heroin overdose at age 26 and is later interred in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California
1990 - Enigma Records releases Poison's single "Unskinny Bop" which shares the a side with "Swamp Juice (Soul-O)", with "Valley Of The Lost Souls" on the flip side, and is distributed by Capitol Records
1991 - Capitol Records releases Kirsty MacColl's fourth studio album "Electric Landlady" produced by her husband, Steve Lillywhite
2006 - Capitol Records Nashville artist Keith Urban marries fellow Australian and motion picture actress, Nicole Kidman, in Sydney, Australia
2007 - Services are held for Donna King Conkling (aka Donna King of the Capitol Records group The King Sisters) at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 14001 Burbank Blvd., Sherman Oaks, California. She passed away on Wednesday, June 20, 2007.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1960 - Tenor Saxophonist Tina Brooks records his only solo album, "True Blue", at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey and released by Blue Note Records. Blue Note's catalogue is owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, and Blue Note Records is currently a division of Capitol Music Group.
2006 - Arif Mardin, record producer and arranger for artists from The Young Rascals to Nora Jones, and labels from Atlantic Records to most recently Blue Note Records, has died at his home in New York City of pancreatic cancer. The Los Angeles Times ran a very good overview of Mardin's eventful life and career with comments by Bruce Lundvall, president of EMI Jazz & Classics.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Billboard magazine retitled its Hillbilly Music Chart "Country & Western"
1950 - The Korean War begins
1966 - Dick Van Dyke leaves his footprints in cement at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California at ceremony #132
1968 - Jackie Lomax records the track "Sour Milk Sea" with producer George Harrison also playing guitar at the session

JUNE 24, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1942 - Bruce Johnston, songwriter (best know for "I Write The Songs"), keyboardist, drummer, bass player, singer, and member of The Beach Boys, is born Benjamin Baldwin in Peoria, Illinois and will be adopted three days later on June 27, 1942 and have his name changed to Bruce Arthur Johnston

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Away)" (with "I Love You" on the flip side) is #6 up from #7 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Saks)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" (with "The Day After Forever" on the flip side) is #7 down from #5, and The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Straighten Up And Fly Right" (with "I Can't See For Lookin'" on the flip side) enters the top 10 at #9
1950 - Nat "King" Cole (with Les Baxter and His Orchestra using a Nelson Riddle arrangement)'s Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa" (the flip side of "The Greatest Inventor Of Them All") is #5 up from #9 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
1957 - Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is #19 up from #30 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone" is #24 down from #15
50 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Frank Sinatra records the tracks "One For My Baby", "Blues In The Night", "What's New", and "Gone With The Wind" with producer Voyle Gilmore, and with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the studio orchestra, for his Capitol Records album "Only The Lonely" at The Capitol Tower Studios In Hollywood, California
1961 - Peggy Lee, with producer Dave Cavanaugh and a studio orchestra (Justin Gordon, Theodore Nash on flute; an unknown french horn section, an unknown string section using arrangements by Quincy Jones; Dennis Budimir and Al Hendrickson on guitar; Max Bennett on bass; Victor Feldman on piano and vibraphones; Stan Levey and Shelly Manne on drums; Francisco "Chino" Pozo on bongos and congos; Mike Gutierrez and Mel Zelnick on percussion), records the tracks "Say It Isn't So" and "Maybe It's Because (I Love You)" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "If You Go"
1963 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens and Rose Maddox's single "We're The Talk Of The Town" with "Sweethearts In Heaven" on the flip side
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Instrumental tracks for The Beach Boys' songs "Frosty The Snowman" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas", using a 41 piece orchestra conducted by orchestra master Benjamin Barrett and arranged by Dick Reynolds, are recorded in The Capitol Tower Studios. Vocal tracks for the songs will be recorded on June 30 at Western Studios in Hollywood, California
1968 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' album "Friends"
1972 - Capitol Records releases Helen Reddy's single "I Am Woman" with "More Than You Could Take" on the flip side. The track would go hit #1 on Billboard's singles chart on December 9, 1972 (Capitol's first non-Beatles #1 since "Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe" peaked on August 29, 1967) and would win Reddy a Grammy for Female Pop Vocal Performance for which, at the televised ceremony, she would thank God because "...She makes everything possible".
1972 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "That's Why I Love You Like I Do", with "Still Waters Run Deep" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1973 - George Harrison's Apple Records single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' compilation album "Endless Summer", Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "Come On Down" with "Bits And Pieces Of Life" on the flip side, and Buck Owens' single "(It's A) Monster's Holiday" with "Great Expectations" on the flip side
1978 - A Taste of Honey's debut Capitol Records single, "Boogie Oogie Oogie" with "World Spin" on the flip side, enters Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart at #82 and will hit #1 in 11 weeks and stay #1 for 3 weeks. The track got it's initial release as the a side of a promotional 12" single for clubs that had Gloria Jones' "Bring on The Love (Why Can't We Be Friends Again)" on the flip side.
1987 - Jackie Gleason, composer, conductor, comedian, motion picture and television actor, and Capitol Records recording artist, dies of colon and liver cancer at Inverrary, Florida home at age 71 and is later interred in the Our Lady Of Mercy Cemetery, Miami Beach, Florida
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Liberty Records (later to become Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks debuts on The Grand Ole Opry
1991 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's album "Red, White & Blue"
2003 - Capitol Records releases the album "Songs For Life", whose proceeds will go to a U.S. non-profit group, The Royal Initiative to Combat AIDS, which is helping fight the epidemic in Southern Africa. The album, supervised by producer Phil Ramone, features tracks from John Lennon, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Pattie LaBelle, Carole King, Judy Collins and Lennon with Yoko Ono.
2003 - Capitol Records releases Liz Phair's self-titled album
5 Years Ago Today In 2004 - Stanley M. Gortikov, former president of Capitol Records (1968-1969), president and CEO of Capitol Industries (1969-1971), and president of the Recording Industry Association of America (1972-1987) dies of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles at age 85.
2005 - Capitol Records releases OK Go's 3 song EP "Do What You Want"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - The movie features of Hopalong Cassidy premiere on TV. The films are edited to thirty and sixty-minute versions and star future Capitol Records childrens' records artist William Boyd as Hopalong and Edgar Buchanan as his sidekick, Red Connors
1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance is #8 up from #10 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #16 up from #22, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is tied for #37 (down from #27) with Pat Boone (with Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra)'s single "Bernadine". Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

JUNE 23, 2009

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - The Pied Pipers (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)' Capitol Records single "Dream" is #7 up from #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Johnnie Johnston (with orchestra conducted by Paul Baron)'s Capitol Records single "Laura" (whose lyrics were written by Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer) is still #9
1951 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young", with "That's My Girl" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" is still #2, and Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Mockin' Bird Hill" is still #9
1956 - Gene Vincent and His Blue Cap's single "Be-Bop-A-Lula" enters the top 40 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
1956 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Poor People Of Paris" is #31 down from #18 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Dean Martin's Capitol Records single "Standing On The Corner" is #34 down from #32, Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps' Capitol Records single "Be Bop A Lula" is #43, and Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "How Little We Know" is #53
1958 - Dean Martin's Capitol Records single "Return To Me" is #6 down from #5 on Billboard's Top 100 singles chart, Nat "King' Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #8 down from #6, The Four Prep's Capitol Records single "Big Man" is tied for #11 with Pat Boone (with Billy Vauhgn and His Orchestra)'s single "Sugar Moon", Laurie London's Capitol Records single "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" is #14 up from #15, and Ed Townsend's Capitol Records single "For Your Love" is #21 down from #18
1960 - The Kingston Trio records the tracks "The White Snows Of Winter" and "Sing We Noel" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with producer Voyle Gilmore and engineer Pete Abbot for their Capitol Records album "The Last Month Of The Year"
1961 - Peggy Lee, with producer Dave Cavanaugh and a studio orchestra (Justin Gordon, and Theodore Nash on flute; unknown french horn player; unknown string section using arrangements by Quincy Jones; Dennis Budimir, and Al Hendrickson on guitar; Max Bennett on bass; Victor Feldman on piano and vibraphones; Stan Levey and Shelly Manne on drums; Francisco "Chino" Pozo on bongos and congos; and Mike Gutierrez and Mel Zelnick on percussion), records the tracks "(I Love Your) Gypsy Heart", "If You Go", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Oh Love Hast Thou Forsaken Me" (all of which were released on Lee's Capitol Records album "If You Go", and "Farewell To Arms" (which went unreleased until it appeared on the 2000 Capitol Records CD compilation "Rare Gems And Hidden Treasures") at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1961 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Act Naturally" returns to #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1962 - The Capitol Records group The Kingston Trio perform a live concert at The Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Break Away" (written by Murry Wilson) with "Celebrate The News" on the flip side
1970 - Ringo Starr arrives in Nashville, Tennessee, after an invitation by Pete Drake, to cut tracks for a solo album. Other musicians at the session include Drake, Jerry Reed, Charlie Daniels, and The Jordanaires. Apple Records will release the tracks on Starr's album "Beaucoups of Blues" before the end of the year with Capitol Records distributing the album in the United States.
1973 - George Harrison's Apple Records album "Living In The Material World", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
30 Years Ago Today In 1979 - The Knack's debut Capitol Records single "My Sharona", with "Let Me Out" on the flip side, enters Billboard's Hot 100 chart
1984 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single “The Reflex“ with "New Religion" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
2000 - Singer Carnie Wilson of the SBK/Capitol Records recording group "Wilson Phillips", and daughter of Brian Wilson, marries Rob Bonfiglio

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1940 - Stuart Sutcliffe, artist and original bassist for The Beatles, is born Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe in Edinburgh, Scotland. Sarah Sutcliffe runs a very comprehensive site about Stuart.
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Singer Amos Milburn, with musical director Jesse Stone leading the studio orchestra (Harry Parr Jones on trumpet; Clifford Solomon and Claude McLin on tenor saxophone; Jewel Grant on baritone saxophone; Isaac Royal and/or Jesse Stone (probably on piano), Jack Marshall on guitar; Red Callender on bass; and Oscar Lee Bradley on drums) records the tracks "One, Two, Three, Everybody" and "That's It" which will be released together as a single by Aladdin Records (#3269), as well as "Vicious, Vicious Vodka", and "I Done Done It" which will also be released together as a single by Aladdin (#3253), at Radio Recorders, in Los Angeles, California. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Alladin's catalog
1956 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm In Love Again" is #6 up from #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and its flip side, "My Blue Heaven", is #21 up from #29
1957 - Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley records the tracks "Mighty Moe And Joe", "News", "Bag's Groove", "Double Exposure" and "Falling In Love With Love" with Bill Hardman on trumpet, Curtis Porter (aka Shafi Hadi) on alto and tenor saxophone, Sonny Clark on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums for Mobley's self titled Blue Note Records album. The session was produced by Alfred Lion and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Blue Note Records' catalog and Blue Note is now a division of Capitol Music Group.
1958 - Dave Seville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor" is #4 down #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and Dion and The Belmonts' Laurie Records single "I Wonder Why" is tied for #31 with The Aquatones' single "You" up from #42. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Liberty and Laurie Records' catalog.
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Eddie Cochran records the track "Something Else" for Liberty Records at a session at Goldstar Studios in Los Angeles, California. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Liberty Records' catalog.
1962 - Dion's Laurie Records single "Lovers Who Wander" is #14 down from #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Sharing You" is #18 up from #19, and Dinah Washington's single "Where Are You" enters the top 40 at #36 up from #46. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Laurie, Liberty, and Roulette Records catalogs.
2003 - The JVC Jazz Festival New York presents "There'll Be Another Spring: A Tribute To Miss Peggy Lee" at Carnegie Hall in New York City

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1848 - Antoine Joseph Sax granted a patent for his invention, the saxophone
1941 - Twenty three year-old Lena Horne, future United Artists Records artist, has her first recording session where she lays down the track "St. Louis Blues" which will be released by Victor Records as a single. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the United Artist Records catalog.
1963 - Sidney Poitier leaves his foot prints at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California in ceremony #134

JUNE 22, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Peter Asher, brother of television variety show host Jane Asher, record producer (most notably for Linda Rondstadt), and singer with Capitol Records duo Peter and Gordon (1964-1968), is born in London, England
1948 - Todd Rundgren, singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer of Capitol Records groups Grand Funk Railroad and The Tubes, is born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Mike Edwards, songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the Capitol (1989) and SBK Records (1990-1993) band Jesus Jones, is born Michael James Edwards in Bradford-upon-Avon, Wiltshire, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1951 - Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan, (with guitarist Maurice Cameron Hill) records the tracks "Sailor's Blues", "Juke Box Boogie", "A Lie In A Beautiful Frame", and "That Last Love Letter" for Capitol Records
1955 - Guitarist Hank Thompson and The Brazos Valley Boys (Merle Travis on guitar and steel guitar; Bobbie White on steel guitar; Billy Stewart on bass; Paul McGhee on drums; Amos Hedrick, Billy Peters and Curly Lewis on fiddles; Donald McDaniel on piano; and Dubert Dobson on trumpet) record the instrumental tracks "Westphalia Waltz", "Red Skin Gal", and "Don't Be That Way" with producer Ken Nelson at Capitol Records' Melrose studios in Hollywood, California
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Franck Pourcell and His French Fiddlers' Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is #12 down from #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1960 - Nelson Riddle records the tracks "Suspenseful-Ness", "Linda", "30-30", "Ebony And Ivory", "Reckless-Ness", "Dauntless-Ness", "Speakeasy Blues", Elliot Ness", Dejected-Ness", and "The Loop" for his Capitol Records television soundtrack album "The Untouchables"
1961 - Peggy Lee, with producer Dave Cavanaugh, and a studio orchestra (Justin Gordon and Theodore Nash on flute; an unknown french horn and string section; Dennis Budimir and Al Hendrickson on guitar; Max Bennett on bass; Victor Feldman on piano and vibraphone; Stan Levey and Shelly Manne on drums; Francisco "Chino" Pozo on bongos and congas; and Mike Gutierrez and Mel Zelnick on percussion), records the tracks "I Wish I Didn't Love You So", "As Time Goes By" with Benny Carter on alto saxophone, and "When I Was A Child" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. The string section is arranged by Quincy Jones. The tracks will be released by Capitol Records on the 1961 album "If You Go".
1962 - Maurice Cameron Hill (aka Cameron Hill) guitarist with Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, and who also recorded with Capitol Records band Tommy Duncan and His Western All Stars, Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan, and Merrill Moore, dies in Houston, Texas at age 43 after a long illness and is later buried at Rosewood Park Cemetery near Humble, Texas
1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" (with "Anoko No Namaewa Nantenkana" on the flip side) is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, (still the only Japanese language single to do so), Nat "King" Cole's single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is still #7, Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #9 down from #5, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #11 down from #10, The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfin' U.S.A." is #16 down from #13 and its flip side "Shut Down" is #23 up from #30
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Judy Garland, vaudeville performer, singer, motion picture actress, television variety show host, mother of Capitol Records artist Liza Minnelli, and a Capitol Records artist, dies in the Chelsea section of London, England at age 47
2006 - After appearing on the CBS-TV program "The Late Show With Craig Ferguson", Capitol Records artist Van Hunt, with special guest Nikka Costa, performs at The House of Blues at 8430 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California
2006 - Capitol Records Nashville promotes promotion department staffers Matthew Hargis and Brent Jones. Hargis, who joined the label in April, goes from promotion manager to the new position of director of promotion. Jones, who has been with the label since 1995, is upped from manager to senior manager of promotion. Both report to VP of promotion Jimmy Harnen at the label's Nashville offices.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
100 Years Ago Today In 1909 - Michael Todd, motion picture producer (including "Oklahoma!" which starred Capitol Records artist Gordon MacRae and for which Capitol Records released the original soundtrack album that was awarded the first Gold record by the R.I.A.A.), developer (with The American Optical Company) of the Todd-AO system using 65mm cine cameras at 30 fps and wide angle photgraphy [approx 150 degrees], and husband of motion picture actress Elizabeth Taylor is born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #6 down from #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Dion and The Belmonts Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #8 down from #6, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #18 up from #19, and The Fleetwood's Dolton Records single "Graduation's Here" is #39 up from #44. Liberty, Laurie, Imperial and Dolton Records' catalogs are currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1963 - The Chiffon's Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #10 up from #17 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Lou Christie's Roulette Records single "Two Faces Have I" is #14 down from #11, The Essex's Roulette Records single "Easier Said Than Done" enters the top 20 at #15 from #50, Jan And Dean's Liberty Records single "Surf City also enters the top #20 at #20 up from #68. Roulette, Laurie, and Liberty Records' catalogs are currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1987 - Fred Astaire, dancer, actor, singer, and EMI recording artist, dies from pneumonia in Los Angeles, California at age 88 and is buried in the Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Chatsworth, California
1998 - Sir Paul McCartney personally chose and arranges the 45,000 flowers that decorate Riverside Church in Manhattan, New York where the friends and family of Apple and Capitol Records artist Linda McCartney will gather to say a candlelit good-bye to his wife

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1961 - The Beat Brothers (aka The Beatles, with John Lennon on rhythm guitar, George Harrison on lead guitar, Paul McCartney on bass guitar, and Pete Best on drums) are in a professional recording studio for the first time when they're hired by Polydor Records to back vocalist Tony Sheridan on the tracks "My Bonnie", and "In The School Hall". At this session they will also record the tracks "Cry For A Shadow" (an original Harrison instrumental composition), and "Ain't She Sweet (with vocal by Lennon). The group will be back in the studio on on June 23, 1961 to record additional tracks with Sheridan.
2007 - The 36th Annual Jazz Bash (once known as the Ken Crawford Bash), starts today and continues to tomorrow, June 23, 2007. It is held at the Holiday Inn of South Plainfield, N.J. which is located at 4701 Stelton Road. As an extra bonus there was a showing of rare films hosted by collector Dave Weiner on Friday and Ron Hutchinson of the Vitaphone Project on Saturday evening. Both shows started at 7:30. In addition to the all-day schmoozing there was a are record playoffs/challenges both nites after the films hosted by collector Henry Schmidt. Mosaic's Scott Wenzel manned the booth with a cache of Mosaic sets that were discounted for the show.

JUNE 21, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1921 - Judy Holiday, Broadway and motion picture actress, singer, and Capitol Records artist (on Capitol Records' original motion picture soundtrack album "Bells Are Ringing" with co-star and Capitol Records artist Dean Martin), is born Judith Tuvim at Manhattan's Lying-in Hospital in New York
1921 - Jane Russell, motion picture and Broadway actress, Las Vegas nightclub performer, singer and Capitol Records solo artist and part of a Capitol Records gospel vocal trio with Connie Haines and Beryl Davis, is born Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell in Bemidji, Minnesota
1948 - Joey Molland, guitarist with the Apple and Capitol Records group Badfinger, is born Joseph Charles Molland in Liverpool, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Johnny Mercer, with King Guion and his Orchestra (Paul Earl Geil, Charlie Griffard, Billy May, and John Enos Silva on trumpet; Bill Atkinson, Burt Johnson, Dale Nichols, and Jim Skiles on trombone; Clyde Hylton and Les Robinson on alto saxophone; King Guion, and Karl Leaf on tenor saxophone; Wes Cheever on baritone saxophone; Ted Repay on piano; Barney Kessel on guitar; Stan Fletcher on bass; and Mel Tormé on drums), records the track "Sam's Got Him" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will release the track as a single (Capitol 164) with "Duration Blues" on the flip side.
1947 - Reg Ingle & The Natural Seven (with vocals by Cinderella G. Stump, aka Jo Stafford who took scale for this recording)'s Capitol Records single "Temptation (Tim-Tay-Shun)" (with "For Sentimental Reasons" on the flip side) enters the top 10 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
1948 - Capitol Records releases Margaret Whiting's single "A Tree In The Meadow" with "I'm Sorry, But I'm Glad" on the flip side. Whiting's vocals were dubbed in Los Angeles over an instrumental track recorded by Frank DeVol in London, getting around the second Petrillo recording ban. The track would eventually hit #1 on Billboard's singles chart on August 21, 1948.
1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s debut Capitol Records single "Here In My Heart" (with "I Cried Myself To Sleep" on the flip side) is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Wheel Of Fortune" is #14 up from #18, Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Carioca" re-enters the top 20 at #18, and Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is #19 down from #16
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Peter & Gordon's Capitol Records single "A World Without Love", with "If I Were You" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1966 - The Beatles record the track "She Said She Said" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England between 7 PM and 3:45 AM. The track will appear on the band's Capitol Records album "Rubber Soul".
1971 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "Ruby"
1975 - Glen Campbell's single version of Larry Weiss' "Rhinestone Cowboy", with "Lovelight" on the flip side, enters Billboard's singles chart and will hit #1 on September 6, 1975
1981 - Anne Murray's Capitol Records single "Blessed Are The Believers", with "Only Love" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens & Ringo Starr's single "Act Naturally", with "The Key's In The Mailbox" on the flip side, that was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London England with producers Jerry Crutchfield and Jim Shaw
1990 - Enigma Records, through a distribution deal with Capitol Records, releases Poison's album "Flesh And Blood"
1991 - Liberty Records, later to become Capitol Records Nashville, releases Gail Davies' compilation album "The Best of Gail Davies"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - After six years, NBC radio presentes the final broadcast of "The Railroad Hour", hosted by Capitol Records artist Gordon MacRae. 1979 - Former Capitol Records artist Buck Owens marries Jennifer Smith
1966 - Arranger Gerald Wilson (also on maracas, with Al Porcino, Jules Chaikin, Freddie Hill, Mel Moore, and Jimmy Owens on trumpet; Mike Barone, John Ewing, and Lester Robertson on trombone; Ernie Tack on bass trombone; Anthony Ortega on alto saxophone and flute; Jimmy Woods on soprano saxophone and alto saxophone; Harold Land and Teddy Edwards on tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone; William Green on flute and piccalo; Roy Ayers on vibraphones: Jack Wilson on piano; Buddy Woodson on bass; Mel Lee on drums; and Max Garduno on congas) records the tracks "The Feather (from Teotihuacan Suite)" arranged by Mike Barone, and "The Serpent (from Teotihuacan Suite)" with producer by Richard Bock and recording engineer Lanky Linstrot at TTG Studios, in Los Angeles, California for his Pacific Jazz album "The Golden Sword". Pacific Jazz's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1971 - Celebration of Light festival begins in Louisiana with Capitol Records groups Pink Floyd and The Beach Boys among those appearing on stage
1975 - Elton John and Capitol Records group The Beach Boys appear together in a concert at Wembley Stadium in England
1981 - Kim Carnes' EMI America Records single "Bette Davis Eyes", with "Miss You Tonite" on the flip side, returns to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORS HISTORY
1948 - Columbia Records announces that it will be offering a new Vinylite long-playing record that can hold 23 minutes of music on each side when played at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute. One of the first LPs it will produce is the original cast album of the Broadway show, "South Pacific". Capitol Records will be the first record company to release albums on three formats of 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPMs

JUNE 20, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1942 - Brian Wilson, songwriter, singer, bass player, pianist, record producer and member of Capitol Records band The Beach Boys, is born Brian Douglas Wilson at 3:45am at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, California
1945 - Anne Murray, singer and Capitol Records recording artist (1969-1991), is born Morna Anne Murray in Springhill, Nova Scotia
1960 - John Taylor, solo artist and bass player for the Capitol Records bands Duran Duran and Power Station and Maverick Records band Neurotic Outsiders, is born Nigel John Taylor in Solihull, Warwickshire, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1953 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April in Portugal" is still #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and its flip side "Ruby" is #11 down from #9, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)" is #10 up from #14, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Pretend" is #13 down from #10, and Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Half A Photograph" is #15 up from #19
1955 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young", with "Forgive Me Dear" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1960 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Young Emotions" is #18 down from #14 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Imperial Records catalog.
1961 - EMI Records, Capitol Records' parent company, moves from Blyth Road to new offices at EMI House, 20 Manchester Square, London, England W1
1963 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Act Naturally" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1965 - Ira Louvin (born Lonnie Ira Loudermilk), Capitol Records recording artist (solo and in a duo with his brother Charlie as the Louvin Brothers) and his fourth wife Anne Young are killed when the car they were riding in while heading home after finishing a show in Kansas City, Missouri is hit head on by a drunk driver in Williamsburg, Missouri
1965 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Before You Go", with "(I Want) No One But You" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1966 - Capitol Records officially releases The Beatles' album "Yesterday And Today" in the U.S. with the "trunk" cover art. Some copies, because of the rush to release, have the new art pasted over the original "butcher" cover art. Let the steaming begin! :)
1970 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "The Long And Winding Road", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1972 - Buck Owens records the track "You Ain't Gonna Have Ol' Buck To Kick Around No More" which Capitol Records will release as a single on August 28, 1972 with "I Love You So Much It Hurts" on the flip side
1976 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single, "I Been To Georgia On A Fast Train", with "Baby's Home" on the flip side, his last single for the label after recording for the label for 27 years and 2 months,
15 Years Ago Today In 1994 - Members of the Capitol Records band The Smithereens hold an online conference with fans on Compuserve
2005 - Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Dierks Bently performs “Come A Little Closer” on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America"
2005 - Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Trace Adkins voices the role of The Cowboy on The Disney Channels' CGI cartoon series "Higglytown Heroes"
2005 - An article in Billboard magazine reports that Capitol Records Nashville CFO Tom Becci has been promoted to COO for the label, where he’ll oversee Capitol Records Nashville's financial operations as well as overall label operations
2006 - Capitol Records releases Leeds, UK singer, songwriter and musician Corrine Bailey Rae's self-titled debut album in the United States
2007 - Donna King (aka Donna King Conkling, born Donna Olivia Driggs), singer, radio and television performer, wife of Capitol Records executive and founder of Warner Bros. Records Jim Conkling, and member of the Capitol Records group The King Sisters, dies of asthma and cancer at age 88 in Plano, Texas, where she had been living in recent years with her daughter, Candy Brand. Services were held Monday, June 25, at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 14001 Burbank Blvd., Sherman Oaks, California.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
165 Years Ago Today In 1844 - Tom Dula, on whose life and death the song "Tom Dooley" is based, is born Thomas C. Dula in Reedy Branch, Wilkes County, North Carolina
1910 - Fanny Brice debuts in The Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway. She would go on to become a motion picture and radio actress (best known for her character "Baby Snooks") and a Capitol Records artist (the Capitol Records children's album "Baby Snooks Learns"). Capitol Records will also release the original Broadway cast album for the musical "Funny Girl" which was based on Brice's life.
1936 - Mickie Most, songwriter (for Herman's Hermits, The Animals, as well as Lulu and Jeff Beck), record producer, founder and owner of RAK Records (whose catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company and had hits during the 1970s with Suzi Quatro, Mud, and Hot Chocolate), is born Michael Peter Hayes in Aldershot, Hampshire, England
1948 - Tina Sinatra, producer, actress and daughter of future Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra, is born Christine Diane Sinatra in Los Angeles, California
30 Years Ago Today In 1979 - Kenny Rogers' United Artists Records single "She Believes In Me", with "Morgana Jones" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1939 - Future Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer finishes his gig as the Tuesday night announcer of The Camel Caravan Show
1948 - Ed Sullivan's CBS television series "The Toast Of The Town" debuts with guests Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who will sign with Capitol Records in exactly two months on August 20, 1948
1960 - WGN-TV Chicago's "Bozo" show debuts as a live half-hour program weekdays at noon, starring Bob Bell as Bozo (Chicago's Bozo until 1984) who performs comedy sketches and introduces cartoons

JUNE 19, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1902 - Guy Lombardo, bandleader, hydroplaner, and Capitol Records artist (1957-1958), is born Gaetano Alberto Lombardo in London, Ontario, Canada
1950 - Ann Wilson, singer, flutist, songwriter, and founding member of the Capitol Records band Heart and the band The Lovemongers, is born Ann Dustin Wilson in San Diego, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1948 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Pied Piper's Capitol Records single "My Happiness" is still #8, and The Sportsmen's a capella Capitol Records single "You Can't Be True, Dear" is #11, up from #17 the previous week
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)" is still at #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Three Coins In The Fontain" is #7 up from #9, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Answer Me, My Love" is still #11, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Young At Heart" is #13 down from #7, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs" is #14 down from #8, The Four Knight's Capitol Records single "I Get So Lonely (When I Dream About You)" is #18 down from #10, and Stan Freberg's Capitol Records single "Point Of Order" (with "Person To Pearson" on the flip side) enters the top 20 at #20
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocal, trombone and bass; Don Barbour on vocal and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocal and drums; and Ken Errair on vocal, trumpet, mellophone, and bass) record the tracks "If I Knew Then" and "Jo Ann", which will be unissued until released as part of Mosaic Records' box set "The Complete Capitol Four Freshmen Sessions April, 1950-July, 1960", and "Malaya" which will be released by Capitol Records as single with "It Never Occured To Me" (recorded January 14, 1955 with an overdub session on January 19, 1955) on the flip side, in Chicago, Illinois
1957 - Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps record the track "Dance To The Bop" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1960 - Peggy Lee, with Billy May conducting the studio orchestra (Art Fleming, Jules Jacob, Harry Klee, Theodore Nash, and Wilbur Schwartz on saxophone; Vincent De Rosa, James Decker, and Richard Perissi on french horn; Clarence Karella on tuba; George Van Eps on guitar; Max Bennett on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stella Castellucci on harp; Stanley Levy on drums; and Emil Richards on percussion), vocal director Jimmy Joyce leading The Jimmy Joyce Childrens Choir, and producer Dave Cavanaugh, records the tracks "I Like A Sleighride (Jingle Bells)", "Deck The Halls", "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town", "The Christmas Riddle", and "Don't Forget To Feed The Reindeer" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "Christmas Carousel"
1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single is #19 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart down from #18
1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Paperback Writer", with "Rain" on the flip side, is # on Billboard's Hot 100 singles
1972 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owen's single "Looking Back To See" with "Cryin' Time", a duet with Susan Raye, on the flip side
2001 - Capitol Records releases guitarist and singer Dave Navarro's solo album "Trust No One"
2006 - The latest movers and shakers at Capitol Records: Melanie Scull is the new Senior Director of Pop Promotion at Capitol Records, Los Angeles up from National Director of AAA at Capitol; Patty Morris-Capers has added AAA duties to her Hot AC, AC and Smooth Jazz callings at Capitol; and Mark Burger, formerly National Promotions at Kirtland Records, also at Geffen, Polydor, Lava and DGC, is now Capitol Regional Director of Promotion in Dallas
2007 - Nellie Lutcher (aka Nellie Rose Lutcher Lewis), singer, pianist, bandleader, arranger, composer, Capitol, Okeh, Epic, Decca, Liberty, Imperial and Melic Records artist, and first female board member of AFM Local 47, was remembered by family (including her last surviving sibling and baby sister Margie Lutcher Levy; her son Talmadge Lewis, his wife Annie, and Lutcher's granddaughter Kira Lewis; and many nieces and nephews, some of whom had'nt seen each other for years), friends (including the son of Ms. Lutcher's drummer on her early Capitol recordings, Lee Young [Lester's brother and for whom she made her last recordings on his Melic label] who who brought his rememberence of the last time his Dad talked to "Topsy" as part of a three way call), and fans at a memorial service that went from 11AM - 1PM on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, in the Holmes Chapel at Founder's Church of Religious Science, 3281 W. 6th Street, in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Lutcher was later interred in a beautiful white coffin with gold trimming and the image of a small bouquet of pink flowers on the lining inside above her head, at Angelus Rosedale, 1831 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1936 - Shirley Goodman, singer with the Aladdin Records group Shirley and Lee, is born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Aladdin's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1958 - The Kingston Trio's version of "Tom Dooley" is first played on air by DJ Paul Colburn at radio station KLUB in Salt Lake City, Utah and will later be re-recorded and released by Capitol Records
1960 - Capitol Records artist Gene Vincent boards a plane to leave the U.K. for home after his leg had recovered sufficiently from the April 17, 1960 auto accident which killed Liberty Records artist Eddie Cochran, for Vincent to travel
1961 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Travelin' Man" is #2 down from #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and it's flip side "Hello Mary Lou" is #17 down from #15, Gene McDaniel's Liberty Records single "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" is #26 down from #19, The Fleetwood's Dolton Records single "Tragedy" is #31 down from #20, Don Costa and His Orchestra and Chorus' United Artists Records single "Never On A Sunday" is #39 down from #37, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "It Keeps Rainin'" enters the top 40 at #40
1962 - Paula Abdul, singer, dancer, choreographer, television variety show co-judge, and Virgin Records (1987-1995) artist is born Paula Julie Abdul in San Fernando, California
1963 - The Beatles record the tracks "Some Other Guy" and "Thank You Girl" for BBC Radio
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Organist John Patton records the tracks "The Rock", "The Way I Feel", "Jerry", "Davene", and "Just ¾" (with Richard Williams on trumpet, Fred Jackson on tenor and baritone saxophone, Grant Green on guitar, and Ben Dixon on drums) with producer Alfred Lion and engineer Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood, New Jersey for Patton's Blue Note Records album "The Way I Feel"
2005 - JVC Jazz Festival New York presents "All For Paul: Les Paul 90th Birthday Salute" that has Les Paul performing with John Coliani,, Lou Pallo, & Nicki Parrott and features Tommy Emmanuel, José Feliciano, Peter Frampton, Steve Lukather, Pat Martino, Steve Miller, Bucky Pizzarelli, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Derek Trucks, Eumir Deodato, Neal Schon, Edgar Winter, and vocalist Madeleine Peyroux with Will Lee & Omar Hakim

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - The animated Bugs Bunny short "Devil May Hare" debuts in theaters, introducing The Tasmanian Devil
1978 - Hide your lasagna, the comic strip Garfield makes it debut

JUNE 18, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1906 - Ray Bauduc, songwriter, drummer (including sessions with Ben Pollack, Red Nichols, Jack Teagarden, Benny Goodman, Wingy Manone, Louis Prima, Glenn Miller and Bob Crosby) and bandleader of the Capitol Records group Ray Bauduc and His Bobcats, is born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1910 - Ray McKinley, drummer, singer, bandleader (took over leadership, with Jerry Gray, of Glenn Miller's Army Air Force band in 1944 after Miller was reported missing in action), and Capitol Records artist (1942), is born in Fort Worth, Texas
1926 - Bill N. Muster, Capitol Records merchandising manager (1953-1959) is born William N. Muster in Valapraiso, Illinois. Twenty four years to the day, in 1950, Munster will graduate with a BA in Journalism-Advertising, from the University of Illinois, School of Communication. His daughter, Nori J. Muster, has posted quite a bit of information about her father and Capitol Records in the 1950's on her website.
1940 - Sue Raney, singer, vocalist with Capitol Records group Ray Anthony and His Orchestra, and a solo Capitol Records artist, is born Raelene Claire Claussen in McPherson, Kansas
1942 - Sir Paul McCartney, singer, songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist, pianist, drummer, member of the Parlophone, Capitol Records and Apple Records band The Beatles, solo artist, and member of the Apple Records and Capitol Records band Wings, is born James Paul McCartney in Walton Hospital, in Liverpool, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Capitol Records' first reviews in Billboard Magazine appear with praises for "Cow Cow Boogie" and "Strip Polka" two weeks before their official release
1947 - Johnny Mercer, with Paul Weston and his Orchestra (Zeke Zarchy on trumpet;, Fred Stulce, Matty Matock, Herbie Haymer, Hap Lawson, and Lenny Hartman on reeds; Milt Raskin on piano; George Van Eps on guitar; Jack Ryan on bass; Nick
Fatool drums and an unknow 13 piece string section) records the track "Country Boy Blues" in Los Angeles, California. The track which appear on the Capitol Records album "Willard Robinson's Deep River Music".
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby It's Cold Outside is #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugalo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #10, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Wonderful Guy" enters the top 20 at #15
1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra and Chorus' Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Nat "King" Cole's double sided Capitol Records hit "A Blossom Fell" (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) and "If I May" (with The Four Knights on backing vocals and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) is #3, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" is #6, Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #16, and Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is #24
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - With Brian Wilson producing using arrangements by Dick Reynolds, intrumental tracks for The Beach Boys songs "We Three Kings Of Orient Are", "Blue Christmas", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "White Christmas" are recorded at The Capitol Tower Studios for the album "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album". Vocals will be recorded later in June at Western Studios in Hollywood.
1965 - Peggy Lee, with Sid Feller conducting His Orchestra and producer Dave Cavanaugh, records the tracks "The Shadow Of Your Smile" and "Maybe This Summer" which will be released together by Capitol Records as a single, "They Say" which will be released on the Capitol Records album ""Then Was Then And Now Is Now", and "Stop Living In The Past" which will be released by Capitol as a single with "I Go To Sleep" (recorded on July 7, 1965) on the flip side, at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records album "Pet Sounds" enters the top 20 of Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1968 - Wanda Jackson records the tracks "Together Again", "Hurtin's All Over", "Swinging Doors", "There Stands The Glass", and "I Betcha My Heart I Love You" at Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producers Ken Nelson and Kelso Herston for her Capitol Records album "Cream Of The Crop" released in August of 1968
1972 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "That's Why I Love You Like I Do", with "Still Waters Run Deep" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1972 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1991 - Capitol Records releases the 1961 album "Nat 'King" Cole Sings, George Shearing Plays", on CD for the first time
2002 - Capitol Records announces the release, re-mixed in 96kHz/24-bit PCM surround-sound at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood using the original multi-track master tapes, of Richard Thompson's 1991 album "Rumor and Sigh", Crowded House's 1986 album "Crowded House", Queensryche's 1990 album "Empire" and Bonnie Raitt's 1989 album "Nick Of Time"
2006 - Paul McCartney turns 64 (Woo!)

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - Marty Haggard, singer, guitarist, and son of future Capitol Records artist Merle Haggard, is born Martin Ronald Haggard in Bakersfield, California
1961 - Horace Parlan (on piano with Booker Ervin on tenor saxophone, Grant Green on guitar, George Tucker on bass, and Al Harewood on drums record the tracks "Light Blue", "Up And Down", "The Book's Beat", two takes of "Fugee", "Lonely One" and "The Other Part Of Town" with producer Alfred Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey studio. "Light Blue" and the second of "Fugee" will be released by Blue Note Records on Parlan's album "Up And Down" and the remaining tracks will finally be released by Mosaic Records on the 2000 box set "The Complete Blue Note Horace Parlan Sessions". Blue Note Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company and is currently a division of Capitol Records
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beatles perform live at Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - Henry Maddox, singer with the band The Maddox Brothers and Rose and brother to Capitol Records artist Rose Maddox, dies at age 46
1983 - George Russell and The Living Time Orchestra record tracks that will make up their 1984 Blue Note album "The African Game" and their 1987 Blue Note album "So What"
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Richard Marx's EMI Records single "Satisfied" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1991 - Curb Records releases Merle Haggards "18 Rare Classics" using songs from Haggard's time at Capitol Records

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1938 - Chick Webb and His Orchestra's Decca single "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", with vocals by Ella Fitzgerald, co-written (with Fitzgerald using his birth name Al Feldman) and arranged by Van Alexander, and with "Liza" on the flip side, enters the top 10 of the U.S. Singles charts
1942 - At ceremony # 64, Red Skelton leaves his footprints in cement at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California

JUNE 17, 2009

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Saks)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" (with "The Day After Forever" on the flip side) peaks at #5, and Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Away)" (with "I Love You" on the flip side) stays at #7 for the 2nd week on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
1950 - Nat "King" Cole (with Les Baxter and His Orchestra using a Nelson Riddle arrangement)'s Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa" (the flip side of "The Greatest Inventor Of Them All") is #9 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Nola" (with Les Paul and Mary Ford's "Jealous" on the flip side) enters the top 20 at #20 and will go on to be his first solo top 10 single
1952 - Hank Thompson's Capitol Records single "The Wild Side of Life", with "Crying In The Deep Blue Sea" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1957 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone" is #15 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is tied for #30 with Billy Williams' single "Im Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter"
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and bass; Don Barbour on vocals and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocals and drums; and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone and bass) with arranger Dick Reynolds conducting the studio orchestra (Tommy Tedesco, Al Hendrickson, Howard Roberts, Bobby Gibbons, Bill Pitman, George Van Eps on guitar; Red Mitchell on bass; Jack Sperling on drums) record the tracks "Come Rain Or Come Shine" (with Shelly Manne on percussion), "Nancy" (with Jerome Friedman on vibraphones and bells), "It's A Pity To Say Goodnight", "Oh, Lonely Winter", and "The More I See You" (the last two tracks also with Jerome Friedman on vibraphones and bells) with producer Lee Gillette at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California, with Jack Marshall and Dick Reynolds handling arrangements and conducting, for their Capitol Records album "The Four Freshmen And Five Guitars"
1960 - Judy Garland records the tracks "I've Confessed to the Breeze (I Love You)", "Old Devil Moon", and "That's Entertainment" with producer Jack Marshall at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "Judy/That's Entertainment!"
1960 - The Kingston Trio record the tracks "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", "All Through The Night", "Follow Now, Oh Shepards", and "Somerset Glouchestershire Wassail" with producer Voyle Gilmore and engineer Pete Abbot at The Capitol Tower Studios for their Capitol Records album "The Last Month Of The Year". I wonder if Judy Garland and The Kingston Trio met each other and/or listened in to each other's sessions.
1963 - The Beatles record the track "Boys" for BBC Radio which will later be released on The Beatles' 1994 Apple Records compilation CD "Live At The BBC" released in 1994 and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States
1963 - The Kingston Trio record the track "Ballad Of The Thresher" with lead vocal by John Stewart, for their Capitol Records album "Sunny Side"
1966 - The Beatles hold the final sessions to record the tracks "Here There And Everywhere" and "Got To Get You Into My Life" for their album "Revolver" at Abbey Road Studios in London
1967 - Capitol Records artists The Kingston Trio ends their final three-week engagement at the hungry i in San Francisco and enters retirement. The last songs of their final set were "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" and "Scotch And Soda."
1968 - Wanda Jackson records the tracks "Little Boy Soldier" for her 1968 Capitol Records album "Cream Of The Crop" and "As The Day Wears On" for her 1969 album "The Happy Side Of Wanda" at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producers Ken Nelson and Kelson Herston
1972 - Apple Records releases Paul McCartney's single "Mary Had a Little Lamb", with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States. The single will peak at #28 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.
1972 - Capitol Records artist (1972) Paul Pena performs with The T-Bone Walker Blues Band at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland
30 Years Ago Today In 1979 - The Motels record the track "People, Places and Things" for their first Capitol Records album at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
25 Years Ago Today In 1984 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single "The Reflex" becomes the groups first #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1986 - Kate Smith (born Kathryn Elizabeth Smith), singer, radio and television variety show host, and Capitol Records artist, dies of diabetes at the age of 79 in Raleigh, North Carolina
1988 - Garth Brooks signs with Capitol Records
1997 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's album "Cryptic Writings"
5 Years Ago Today In 2004 - The first of two sessions (the next will be on June 28, 2004) is held at The Capitol Records Studios for a benefit single for children and families affected by the Iraq War. The track is a cover of the 1971 hit (#3 on R&B chart & 12 on pop chart) single "Bring The Boys Home" with Bad Boy Records artist Carl Thomas providing lead vocals with Morris Day, Juvenile, Wyclef Jean, Freda Payne (who sang the original version) and a children's chorus. Proceeds will be donated to the charity Children Uniting Nations.
2005 - "Dateline NBC" airs an "in-depth...profile" of Capitol Records Nashville artist Keith Urban

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
90 Years Ago Today In 1919 - Gene De Paul, composer (co-wrote the "Cow Cow Boogie" with Benny Carter, and the score for the motion picture musical "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", and the Broadway and motion picture "Li'l Abner" with Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer), is born Eugene Vincent De Paul in New York City, New York
1951 - After 40 performances, the curtain comes down on the Broadway musical "Flahooley", with songs written by Sammy Fain and E.Y. Harburg and with Yma Sumac in the cast as well as first-timer Barbara Cook. Capitol Records will release the soundtrack album which will also be Cook's recording debut.
1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance is tied for #10 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart with The Coasters single "Young Blood", Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #22, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is #27. Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1967 - Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Steve Miller Band perform at The Monterey Pop Jazz Festival. Their performances at the festival will lead to both bands being signed to Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1946 - Barry Manilow is born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York
1960 - The Shadows record the track "Apache" in Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios, London, England
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - At ceremony #140, Jack Nicholson leaves his footprints in cement at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California

JUNE 16, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
Keith Mitchell, drummer with the Capitol Records group Mazzy Star, is born in Long Beach, California. If anyone knows what year, please leave a comment.
90 Years Ago Today In 1919 - Al Viola, guitarist and mandolin player (mandolin solo in the theme for the motion picture "The Godfather"), motion picture performer, member of The Page Cavanaugh Trio, session musician on many of Frank Sinatra's Capitol Records recordings and Julie London's Liberty Records recordings, is born in New York City, New York
85 Years Ago Today In 1924 - Eli "Lucky" Thompson, tenor and soprano saxophone player, songwriter, song publisher, band leader, who recorded as part of Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, is born in Detroit, Michigan
70 Years Ago Today In 1939 - Billy "Crash" Craddock, Capitol Records artist (1978-1983) is born William Wayne Craddock in Greensboro, North Carolina
1941 - Lamont Dozier, songwriter (solo and as part of the team Holland-Dozier-Holland), record producer, recording artist and co-founder of the Capitol Records subsidiary Invictus Records and Hot Wax Records, is born in Detroit, Michigan

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - The Pied Pipers (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)' Capitol Records single "Dream" is #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Johnnie Johnston (with orchestra conducted by Paul Baron)'s Capitol Records single "Laura" (whose lyrics were written by Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer) is #9
1950 - Peggy Lee, with Dave Barbour and His Orchestra, records the tracks "The Cannonball Express" (which will be released by Capitol Records as a single with "That Ol' Devil Won't Get Me", recorded on February 8, 1951, on the flip side), "Show Me The Way To Go Out Of This World", which will be released by Capitol Records as a single with "Happy Music" (which was the next track recorded) on the flip side, "Don't Give Me A Ring On The Telephone" (unreleased!), and "Lover, Come Back To Me" (which will be releases as a single by Capitol Records with "Helpless", recorded March 13, 1950, on the flip side) at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California
1951 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young" is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, knocking Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" out of the top spot to #2 for the first time in nine weeks. and Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Mockin' Bird Hill" is #9
1956 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Poor People Of Paris" is #18 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Dean Martin's Capitol Records single "Standing On The Corner" is #32, The Four Freshmen's Capitol Records single "Graduation Day" is #33, and Joe "Fingers" Carr's Capitol Records single "Portuguese Washerwoman" enters the top 40 tied at #40 with Georgia Gibbs' single "Kiss Me Another"
1957 - Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds, and Bob Shane form The Kingston Trio in Palo Alto, California
1958 - Dean Martin's Capitol Records single "Return To Me" is #5 down from #4 on Billboard's Top 100 singles chart, Nat "King' Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #6 up from #9, The Four Prep's Capitol Records single "Big Man" is #13 down from #7, Laurie London's Capitol Records single "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" is #15 down from #14, and Ed Townsend's Capitol Records single "For Your Love" is #18 up from #20
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and bass; Don Barbour on vocals and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocals and drums; and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone and bass) with arranger Dick Reynolds conducting the studio orchestra (Tommy Tedesco, Al Hendrickson, Howard Roberts, Bobby Gibbons, Bill Pitman, George Van Eps on guitar; Red Mitchell on bass; Jack Sperling on drums; Larry Bunker on vibraphones, bells, congas, and bongos) record the tracks "I Never Knew", "Invitation", and "Rain" at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with producer Lee Gillette for their Capitol Records album "The Four Freshmen And Five Guitars"
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Buck Owens records "Under Your Spell Again" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records would release the track as a single with "Tired Of Living" on the flip side, on July 13, 1959. I wonder if Owens and The Four Freshmen met that day during breaks in recordings or sat in on each other's sessions in the booth.
1963 - The Kingston Trio, with John Stewart on vocals, records the tracks "Rider" and "Those Who Are Wise" (penned by Stewart) for their Capitol Records album "Sunny Side"
1967 - Captiol Records artist Lou Rawls performs at the opening day of The Monterey Pop Festival
1967 - Wynn Stewart's Capitol Records single "It's Such A Pretty World Today", with "Goin' Steady" on the flip side, hits #1 on U.S. Country singles charts where it will stay on top for two weeks
1967 - Capitol Records releases Twiggy's first single, "When I Think Of You", with "Over and Over" on the flip side
1969 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "The Ballad of John & Yoko", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1976 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Rock 'N' Roll Music" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1991 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single ""The Thunder Rolls" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
5 Years Ago Today In 2004 - Grand Royal Records, with distribution being handled by Capitol Records, releases The Beastie Boys album "To The Five Boroughs"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Walt Disney Pictures releases the animated feature movie "Lady And The Tramp", with lyrics and vocals by Capitol Records artist Peggy Lee. Capitol Records will later release a childrens record album based on the movie.
1956 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm In Love Again" is #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and its flip side, "My Blue Heaven", is #29
1957 - Curtis Fuller (on trombone, with Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Arthur Taylor on drums) records the tracks "Lizzy's Bounce" (which will be released by Blue Note Records on the album "The Opener"), "Soon", "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening" "Here's To My Lady" (without tenor saxophone), "Oscalypso", and "Hugore" (all of which will be unreleased until the appeared on the 1996 Mosaic Records box set "The Complete Blue Note/UA Curtis Fuller Sessions") with producer Alfred Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at The Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey
1958 - Dave Seville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor" is still #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and Dion and The Belmonts' Laurie Records single "I Wonder Why" is #42. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Liberty and Laurie Records' catalog.
1962 - Dion's Laurie Records single "Lovers Who Wander" is #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Sharing You" is #19, Walter Brennan's Liberty Records single "Old Rivers" is #29, and Jay and The American's United Artists Records single "She Cried" is #32. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Laurie, Liberty, and United Artists Records catalogs.
1986 - CBS Records announces that former Capitol Records mailroom employee (1969), 36 year old Don Ienner, is the newest, and youngest ever, president of Columbia Records
1990 - Roxette's EMI America Records single "It Must Have Been Love" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1998 - Jack McFadden, manager of Capitol Records artist Buck Owens for over three decades and the talent coordinator for the television show "Hee Haw" dies at age 71

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1890 - Stan Laurel, motion picture actor as a headliner and as part of the duo Laurel and Hardy, is born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, Cumbria, England
70 Years Ago Today In 1939 - Chick Webb (born William Henry Webb), drummer and band leader, dies in John Hopkins Hospital, Balitmore Maryland after a major operation. The year of his birth is still not confirmed, so he may have been anywher from 30 to 37 years of age at the time of his death.
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - George Reeves, TV's Superman, dies of a gunshot wound to the head in his bedroom in Beverly Hills, California at age 45
1971 - Tupac Amaru Shakur is born Lesane Parish Crooks in Brooklyn, New York

JUNE 15, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
100 Years Ago Today In 1909 - Mickey Katz, clarinetist, klezmer player, arranger, member of Spike Jones and His City Slickers, Yiddish song parodist, comedian, Capitol Records artist (1950-1967), father of Broadway, motion picture and television actor and Capitol Records artist Joel Grey, and grandfather of motion picture and television actress Jennifer Grey, is born Meyer Myron Katz in Cleveland, Ohio. Thanks to Mel for letting me know about Katz' birthday.
1917 - Leon Payne, founder of The Lone Star Buddies, songwriter ("Lost Highway" and "I Love You Because"), singer, musician, and Capitol Records country artist (1949-1953), is born Leon Roger Payne in Alba, Texas. Payne would also release a Rockabilly single on Capitol ("That Ain't It" with "Little Rock" on the flip side) using the name Rock Rogers.
1941 - Harry Nilsson (aka Johnny Niles), singer, songwriter, pianist, guitarist, actor, motion picture score writer, friend of John Lennon, and a Mercury, Tower (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) and RCA Victor Records artist, is born Harry Edward Nilsson III in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, New York
1963 - Scott Rockenfield, soundtrack composer, drummer with the Capitol Records group Queensryche, and a solo artist, is born in Seattle, Washington
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Ice Cube, singer, actor, and a Priority Records (a division of Capitol Music Group) artist as part of the group NWA and as a solo artist, is born O'Shea Jackson in South Central Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Andy Russell's Capitol Records single "Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside)", with "They Say It's Wonderful" on the flip side, is #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
55 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Jackie Gleason records the track "Laura" for his album "Music To Remember Her" with Buddy Haskin on trumpet
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and bass; Don Barbour on vocals and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocals and drums; and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone and bass) with arranger Dick Reynolds conducting the studio orchestra (Tommy Tedesco, Al Hendrickson, Howard Roberts, Bobby Gibbons, Bill Pitman, George Van Eps on guitar; Red Mitchell on bass; Jack Sperling on drums; Larry Bunker on vibraphones, bells, congas, and bongos) record the tracks "It All Depends On You", "I Understand", "This October", and "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for their Capitol Records album "The Four Freshmen And Five Guitars" with producer Lee Gillette
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Franck Pourcell and His French Fiddlers' Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1960 - Peggy Lee, with producer Dave Cavanaugh and arranger Billy May conducting the studio orchestra (Harry Klee, Ronnie Lang, and Wilbur Schwartz on reeds; George Van Eps on guitar; Max Bennett on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stella Castellucci on harp; Stanley Levy on drums; Harry Bluestone, Harold Dicterow, Jacques Gasselin, Anatol Kaminsky, Murray Kellner, Marvin Limonick, Joseph Livoti, Nathan Ross, and Felix Slatkin on violin; Alvin Dinken, Virginia Majewski, Alex Niemann, and Abraham Weiss on viola; Charles Gates, Edgar Lustgarten, David Pratt, and Joseph Saxon on cello), and vocal director Jimmy Joyce leading The Jimmy Joyce Childrens Choir on background vocals, records the tracks "White Christmas", "The Christmas Waltz", "The Christmas Song", "Christmas Carousel", and "The Star Carol" for her 1960 Capitol Records album "Christmas Carousel" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" (with "Anoko No Namaewa Nantenkana" on the flip side) hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, (still the only Japanese language single to do so), knocking Leslie Gore's Mercury Records single "It's My Party", with "Danny" on the flip side, out of the top spot. Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #5, Nat "King" Cole's single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #7, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #10, The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfin' U.S.A." is #13 and its flip side "Shut Down" is #30
1963 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Act Naturally", with "Over And Over Again" on the flip side, becomes his first single to hit #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Capitol Records releases Peter and Gordon's single "Nobody I Know" (written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon), with "You Don't Have To Tell Me" on the flip side
1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Yesterday And Today" was supposed to be released today (and a few copies may actually have made it to some stores through independent distributors) but its official released is delayed until June 20 when the new "truck" cover art replaces the original "butcher" cover
1967 - Alan Jardine, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys, with vocalist Diane Rovell of The Honeys, record the track "Vegetables" at The Beach Boys Studio in Bel Air, California
1970 - Capitol Records releases Grand Funk Railroad's album "Closer To Home"
1972 - Harvest Records releases Pink Floyd's album "Obscured By Clouds" with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States
1996 - Ella Fitzgerald (born Ella Jane Fitzgerald) singer, bandleader, motion picture actress and Brunswick, Verve, Capitol and Pablo Records artist, dies in Beverly Hills, California at age 79 from complications brought about by diabetes and is later interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California
1996 - Billboard magazine reports that Capitol Records Inc. has paid $10 million to acquire 49% of shares of Matador Records

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1943 - Muff Winwood, bass guitarist, songwriter, record producer, member of the Fontana and United Artists Records group The Spencer Davis Band with his brother Steve Winwood, is born Mervyn Winwood in Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Dion and The Belmonts Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #6, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #19. Liberty, Laurie, and Imperial Records' catalogs are currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1963 - Lou Christie's Roulette Records single "Two Faces Have I" is #11 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and The Chiffon's Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #17. Roulette and Laurie Records' catalogs are currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - "Hee Haw", starring Capitol Records artist Buck Owens and former Capitol Records artist Roy Clark and with Capitol Records group The Buckaroos as house band, debuts on the CBS television network
1991 - Paula Abdul's Virgin Records America single "Rush Rush" is #1 on Billboards' Top 100 singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1901 - Jack Kapp, co-founder of Decca Records and records producer, is born
1945 - Judy Garland marries Ben Vincent Minnelli in a ceremony performed by Dr. William Roberts of the Beverly Hills Community Presbyterian Church in the home of her mother Ethel Garland, at 1231 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles, California. One of Judy's sisters was her attendant and the best man for Minnelli was lyricist Ira Gershwin.
1962 - EMI lauches the Stateside label in Britain "for repertoire licensed from American labels"
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Judy Garland gives her last performance for a live audience when she appears at the Half Note nightclub, Greenwich Village, NYC
1992 - At ceremony #156, Michael Keaton leaves his footprints in cement at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California and at ceremony #157, Tom Cruise leaves his footprints

JUNE 14, 2009

2009 - REST IN PEACE
Bob Bogle, original lead guitarist and founding member of the Dolphin/Doltin Records label group "The Ventures" died of complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 75 in a local Southern California hospital according to fellow co-founder Don Wilson

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1905 - Nappy Lamare, banjo player, guitarist, singer, member of the group The Bob Crosby Bob Cats, and a Capitol Records session and solo artist, is born Joseph Hilton Lamare on Dumaine Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Connection Magazine wrote a wonderul biographcal article to celebrate Nappy's centennial birthday.
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Alan White, drummer with the Apple and Capitol Records group Plastic Ono Band, drummer on John Lennon's album and single "Imagine", George Harrison's album "All Things Must Pass" and single "My Sweet Lord", as well as drummer for the group Yes, is born in Pelton, County Durham, England
1963 - Chris DeGarmo, songwriter, lead and rhythm guitarist with the Capitol Records band Queensryche (1982-1997, 2003), is born Christopher Lee DeGarmo in Wenatchee, Washington
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - MC Ren, Capitol Records artist and vocalist with Priority Records (now a subsidiary of Capitol Records) group NWA, is born Lorenzo Patterson in Compton, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - The King Cole Trio records the track "The Christmas Song" (which Mel Tormé and Robert Wells wrote specifically for Nat) at WMCA Studios in New York City. This is the first of four separate recordings Cole would make of the song during his lifetime. Cole was not happy with this version and would persuade Capitol Records to let him re-record the track with a string section, arranged by Charlie Grean, with producers Carl Kress and Walter Rivers on August 19, 1946
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Freddie Slack's Quartet (actually a septet, with Neal Hefti on trumpet, John Haliburton on trombone, Hank Horn on baritone saxophone, Slack on piano, Bob Bain on guitar, Paul Moresy on bass, and Maynard Sloate on drums) record the tracks, "Whatever Happened To Ol' Jack?" (with Phil Gordon and Bobby Troup on vocals) and an untitled Phil Moore instrumental (that went unissued until Mosaic Records released it on their 2005 3 CD set "Mosaic Select: Freddie Slack") in Los Angeles, California
1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s debut Capitol Records single "Here In My Heart" (with "I Cried Myself To Sleep" on the flip side) hits #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Wheel Of Fortune" is #18, Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is #16, and Ellae Mae Morse (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Blacksmith Blues" is #19
1955 - Arranger Bob Cooper, on tenor saxophone, oboe, and english horn (with Bud Shank on flute, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone player; Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone; Bob Enevoldsen on tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and valve trombone; John Graas on french horn; Claude Williamson on piano; Ralph Pena on bass; and Shelly Manne on drums) records the tracks "All Or Nothing At All" (which Capitol Records released on the album "Kenton Presents Bob Cooper - Shifting Winds"), "'Round Midnight", and "Tongue Twister" (both of which will finally be released by Mosaic Records as part of its 1999 box set "Kenton Presents Cooper, Holman & Rosolino") with producer Stan Kenton at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollwyood, California
1957 - At 7 PM on a Sunday, CBS Radio Network broadcasts the first episode of "The Stan Freberg Show" as a summer replacement for Jack Benny featuring the voices of Daws Butler, June Foray, Peter Leeds, and Freberg himself. Capitol Records will later release a "best of" album of the show. Joe Bevilcqua has put up a Daws Butler tribute site that has a great article about the show.
1957 - Sessions begin for arranger Martin Denny's Liberty Records album "Exotica Volume II" (with Denny on piano and celeste; Arthur Lyman on vibes, marimba, xylophone, and percussion; Augie Colon on bongos, congas, latin effects, and bird calls; Bernard Miller on string bass; Jack Shoop on alto flute and baritone saxophone; Roy Harte on drums and percussion; and Gil Baumgart on percussion and also helping with arranging) in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with recording engineers Val Valintin and Ted Keep
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "My Heart Skips A Beat" returns to the #1 position on the U.S. Country singles charts
1965 - Capitol Records release The Beatles' album "Beatles VI"
1965 - Capitol Records releases the Buck Owens' EP "Four By Buck Owens'
1965 - The Beatles record the tracks "I've Just Seen a Face" (six takes) and "I'm Down" (seven takes) and the rest of the group stays as Paul McCartney records the track "Yesterday" in Studio 2 at EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, England. "Yesterday" will be released by Capitol Records in the U.S. as a single and on the album "'Yesterday' and Today" as well as by United Artists on the soundtrack to the group's second motion picture "Help!".
1966 - Ron Tepper, manager of Capitol Records' press and information services, sends out a letter to reviewers requesting they disregard and, "if possible", send back (yeah, right) their promotional copy of the "Butcher Cover" version of The Beatles' album "'Yesterday' and Today" album. His assistant, Mickey Diage, handled the distribution of the letter and coordinated the return of the album and promotional posters that used the same artwork.
1967 - The Beach Boys (Alan Jardine, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson with session musician Diane Rovell) record the track "Heroes And Villans" at The Beach Boys Studio at 10452 Bellagio Road, Bel Air, California from 3PM to 6PM
1968 - Ken Errier, Capitol Records solo artist (1957), member of Capitol Records recording act The Four Freshmen (1953-1955), and second husband to actress Jane Withers, dies in a small plane crash in California
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Vocalist Letta Mbulu is back in The Capitol Tower Studios with arranger H.B. Barnum who conducts the studio orchestra (Tony Terran and Freddie Hill on trumpet and flugelhorn; Charles Loper on trombone; Dick Leith on trombone and bass trombone; Jackie Kelso on tenor saxophone and flute; Jim Horn on tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, oboe, and recorder; Dick Houlgate on bass saxophone and flute; Don Randi on piano, electric piano and harpsichord; Mike Melvoin on organ; Al Casey, John Gray, and Les Buie on guitar; Bob West on bass and electric bass; Earl Palmer on drums, tympani and bells; Joe Clayton on congas; King Errison on bongos; Gary Coleman boo bams and tamborine; John Guerin on bells, tympani, and mallets; Ken Watson on mallets, traps, and Latin percussion) to record the tracks "Gumba Gumba", "Kukuchi", "What More Could Be Right", and "Only When You're Mine Again" for her Capitol Records album "Free Soul"
1976 - The Bealtes' Capitol Records compilation album "Rock 'N' Roll Music" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1998 - Capitol Records releases The Beastie Boys album "Hello Nasty"
2000 - Merrill Moore, Capitol Records artist and contract session player (1955-1958), country swing and boogie woogie pianist, dies in San Diego, California of cancer
2003 - On the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, Capitol Records Nashville artist, Trace Adkins is invited by Little Jimmy Dickens to become a member with a formal induction to be held on August 23, 2003
2005 - A scheduled performance by Capitol Records recording artists Saosin is cancelled due to police reaction to a shooting that occured at the venue a few days earlier

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
80 Years Ago Today In 1929 - Cy Coleman, child prodigy pianist, composer (best known for "Witchcraft" and "The Best Is Yet To Come" both recorded by Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra, as well as "Hey Look Me Over" for The musical "Wildcat" as well as the musical "Sweet Charity" with lyricist Dorothy Fields), is born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, New York
1941 - Future Capitol Records artist Tex Ritter weds actress Dorothy Fay. Their marriage that will last until his death on January 2, 1974
1950 - Harold Perry, radio actor and Capitol Records artist, plays his best known role, The Great Gildersleeve, for the last time after 13 years. Perry is changing networks but he can't take Gildersleeve with him so he will be replaced by Willard Waterman, who will play Gildersleeve for the next 8 years on radio and then for several years on television but, as a mark of respect for Perry, will never imitate Perry's signature laugh.
1961 - Boy George, singer, Broadway musical performer and Virgin Records artist with group The Culture Club and as a solo artist, is born George Alan O'Dowd in Eltham, Kent, England. Virgin Records is a subsidiary of Capitol Music Group.
1963 - Sarah Vaughan, with arranger Benny Carter conducting the studio orchestra (Ed Kusby, Tom Shepard, Dick Nash, and Bob Knight on trombone; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Bobby Gibbons on guitar; Red Callender on bass; Earl Palmer on drums, and unknown string section), records the tracks "These Foolish Things", "Look For Me, I'll Be Around", "Friendless", and "The Man I Love" at United Recorders' studios in Los Angeles, California during her last session for her Roulette Records album "Lonely Hours"
40 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Ringo Starr rejoins Parlophone and Capitol Records group The Beatles on tour when he arrives in Melbourne, Australia after missing part of the tour due to illness

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1895 - Cliff Edwards (aka "Ukulele Ike"), singer, ukulele player, Broadway (introduced the song "Toot, Toot, Tootsie"), radio ("The Rudy Vallee Show") and motion picture actor (introduced the song "Singing In The Rain"), and the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney's animated feature "Pinochio", is born in Hannibal, Missouri
100 Years Ago Today In 1909 - Burl Ives, singer, author, actor, and voice of the world's second best known snowman, is born Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives in Jasper County, Illinois
1942 - Walt Disney releases the animated movie "Bambi"
1961 - Liberty Records releaes Johnny Burnette's sixth single for the label "I've Got A Lot Of Things To Do" with "Girls" on the flip side
1977 - Alan Reed, motion picture, radio and television actor, and voice of Fred Flintstone, dies of a heart attack at age 69 in West Los Angeles, California
1986 - Alan Jay Lerner, Broadway and motion picture lyricist and librettist (including "Brigadoon", "Paint Your Wagon", "Royal Wedding", "My Fair Lady", "Gigi", "Camelot" and others), and screenwriter ("An American In Paris") dies of lung cancer in New York City at age 67
15 Years Ago Today In 1994 - Henry Mancini (born Enric Nicoloa Mancini), composer (co-wrote "Moon River" with Capitol Records' co-founder "Johnny Mercer"), arranger, and television ("Peter Gunn") and film scorer ("The Pink Panther" series and many others) dies at age 70 of cancer of the pancreas and liver in Beverly Hills, California
2000 - Bob Rolontz, record executive and originator of the Platinum record certification, dies at age 79

JUNE 13, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Dennis Locorriere, guitarist and singer with the Capitol Records group Dr. Hook, is born in Union City, New Jersey

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - The King Cole Trio (Nat "King" Cole on piano, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Johnny Miller on bass) records the tracks "Naughty Angeline" and "That's What" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will release the tracks together on a single (Capitol 437)
1953 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April in Portugal" is #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and its flip side "Ruby" is 9, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Pretend" is #10, Jane Froman (with Sid Feller and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "I Believe" is #11, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)" (with "Johnny (Is The Boy For Me)" on the flip side) enters the top 20 at #14 and will go on to top the chart and stay there for 11 weeks, and Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Half A Photograph" (with "Allez-Vous-En" from the musical "Can Can" on the flip side) is #19
1955 - Arranger Bob Cooper, on tenor saxophone, oboe, and english horn, (with Bud Shank on flute alto saxophone and tenor saxophone; Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone; Bob Enevoldsen on tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and valve trombone; John Graas on french horn; Claude Williamson on piano; Joe Mondragon on bass; and Shelly Manne on drums) records the tracks "Hallelujah" (which will be released by Capitol Records on the album "Kenton Presents Bob Cooper - Shifting Winds"), "Deep In A Dream", "It's De-lovely", and "Drawing Lines" (which will finally be released by Mosaic Records as part of its 1999 box set "Kenton Presents Cooper, Holman & Rosolino") with producer Stan Kenton at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beatles' United Artists soundtrack album "A Hard Day's Night" is released. Capitol Records will eventually buy the United Artists Records catalog and has since re-released the album on the Capitol label.
1968 - Vocalist Letta Mbulu records the tracks "Olu Ati Ayo" and "Welele", with producer David Axlerod, for her Capitol Records album "Free Soul". She also records a version of "Gumba Gumba" that will be re-recorded the next day that will be issued on a single (Capitol 4-2152) with the song "Ade" on the flip side. Arranger H.B. Barnum conducts Tony Terran and Freddie Hill on trumpet and flugelhorn; Lew McCreary on trombone and tenor trombone; Jackie Kelso on tenor saxophone, clarinet and flute; Dick Houlgate on saxophone and clarinet; Jim Horn on saxophone, clarinet, flute and recorder; Don Randi on piano, electric piano and harpsichord; Mike Melvoin on organ; Les Buie, Louis Morell, and Carol Kaye on guitar; Bob West on bass; Earl Palmer on drums, tympani, and bells; John Guerin on drums, vibraphone and tympani; Joe Clayton on congas; Gene Estes and Ken Watson on percussion at The Capitol Tower Studios. Copyists for the arrangements were Allen DeRienzo, Leonard Gordon, and Kenneth Mitchell.
1970 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "The Long And Winding Road", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and The Beatles' Apple Records album "Let It Be" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1970 - Glyn Johns completes a mix of The Band's Capitol Records album "Stage Fright". Many of the tracks will be remixed by Todd Rundgren for the final album release. Dave Hopkins has written reviews of all The Band's 2000 CD reissues.
1986 - Benny Goodman, clarinetist, singer, bandleader, motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist, dies of cardiac arrest in his Manhattan apartment at age 77 and is later buried in Long Ridge Union Cemetery, Stamford Connecticut
1986 - Dean Reed, Capitol Records and Imperial Records artist (1958), best known for his recordings of "Our Summer Romance" and "Whirly Twirly", singer, songwriter, director, actor and socialist activist, dies after disappearing the day before and will be found in two days in a lake near is home in East Berlin, Germany. Tom Hanks is said to be working on a project about Reed's life. The University of Colorado sponsors the Dean Reed Peace Prize, an annual essay contest held in Reed's memory, as part of its Conference on World Affairs.
2003 - The film contest for a video for Capitol Records artist Fischerspooner, sponsored by iFilm and Capitol, ends and the winner's entry is placed on iFilm.com
2005 - Zane Williams, guitarist, singer and songwriter, auditions for Larry Willoughby, Vice President of A & R for Capitol Records Nashville at the label's top floor offices in Nashville, Tennessee. Zane has a good description of the event in the June 13, 2005 entry on his blog "The Music Row Diaries".
2006 - The surviving original members of The Beach Boys reunite in public after 10 years apart when Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine gather on the roof of The Capitol Tower in Hollywood, California to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album "Pet Sounds" and their 2003 Capitol Records album "Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys" being certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1917 - Sy Zenter, trombonist, bandleader, session musician and Liberty Records artist, is born Simon H. Zentner in New York City, New York
1960 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Young Emotions" is #14 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1963 - Sarah Vaughn, with arranger Benny Carter conducting the studio orchestra (Shorty Sherock, Carmell Jones, Conrad Gozzo, and Bobby Bryant on trumpet; Ed Kusby and Dick Nash on trombone; Buddy Coillete, Bill Green, Plas Johnson, Wilbur Schwartz, and Bill Hood on reeds; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Barney Kessel and Tommy Tedesco on guitar; Red Callender on bass; and Alvin Stoller on drums), records the tracks "Solitude", "I'll Never Be The Same", "So Long, My Love", and "Lonely Hours" at United Recorders' studios in Los Angeles, California for her Roulette Records album "The Lonely Hours"
1972 - CBS-TV broadcasts the final episode of Capitol Records artist Glen Campbell's variety show "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour"
1981 - Dottie West and Kenny Roger's Liberty Records single "What Are We Doin' In Love", with "Choosin' Means Losin'" on the flip side is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Liberty Records catalog
1997 - Capitol Records band Megadeth starts their "Cryptic Writings" tour with a concert in Mesa, Arizona that is broadcast live on the internet
5 Years Ago Today In 2004 - Capitol Records Nashville artists The Jenkins perform on the Riverfront stage of the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee
2006 - Capitol Records band Radiohead perform live in concert at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. According to a Capitol Records press release, the set list "will draw heavily on the newer material the band has been working on over the past months", and "will feature appropriately scaled down staging and lighting design, creating a suitably intimate environment for the first ever airings of several new songs".

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Edward J. "Major" Bowes, producer and host of radio's "Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour", dies on his 72nd birthday at his home in Rumson, New Jersey. Cardinal Spellman will perform the last rites at Bowes' home. Those amongst the show's most famous winners were Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope. A year after Bowes' death, Ted Mack would revive the Amateur Hour and bring it to television.

JUNE 12, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1928 - Vic Damone, singer, motion picture and television actor, and Capitol Records artist (1961-1965), is born Vito Rocco Farinola in Brooklyn, New York
1938 - Jim Conner, songwriter ("Grandma's Feather Bed"), guitarist, banjoist, harmonica player and vocalist with Capitol Records duo Richard and Jim (1962-1965) and member of The New Kingston Trio (1968-1974) in born in Gadsen, Alabama
1958 - Meredith Brooks, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Capitol Records artist, is born Meredith Ann Brooks in Oregon City, Oregon

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (Monty Kelly, Larry Neil, and Don Waddilove on trumpet; Skip Layton and Murray McEachern on trombone; Alvy West, Danny d'Andrea, Lenny Hartman, King Guion, and Tommy Mace on saxophone; Harry Azen, Sol Blumenthal, and David Newman on strings; Buddy Weed on piano; Mike Pingitore on guitar; Art Shapiro on bass; and Willie Rodriguez on drums) using arrangements by Jimmy Mundy, record the tracks "Travlin' Light" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Jimmy Mundy and Trummy Young) with vocals by Lady Day (Billie Holiday, who was under contract to Decca, thus the alias), "The Old Music Master" (lyrics by Mercer, music by Hoagy Carmichael, which will be included in Paramount Picture's motion picture "True To Life", released December 24, 1943, and sung by Dick Powell) with vocals by Johnny Mercer and Jack Teagarden, "I'm Old Fashioned" (lyrics by Mercer, music by Jerome Kern, which will be used in the 1942 Columbia Pictures motion picture "You Were Never Lovelier", released November 19, 1942, where it is sung by Nan Wynn who dubbed for Rita Hayworth) with vocals by Martha Tilton, and "You Were Never Lovelier" (also by Mercer and Kern for the motion picture of the same name and where it will be sung by Fred Astaire) with vocals by Larry Neil, at Radio Recorders' studios in Los Angeles, California with Mercer producing all the sessions.
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - "Hi, ever'body, hope you feel tip-top; welcome to the Chesterfield Music Shop". Johnny Mercer's "Chesterfield Music Shop" airs it's first 15 minute episode live at 5PM for the east coast and again live at 8PM for the west coast. The series will broadcast from NBC's studio at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood twice daily, Mondays through Thursdays and on Fridays from various military camps and hospitals around Southern California until December 8, 1944 with many of it's episodes recorded for the Armed Forces Radio Services. The show features Mercer, Jo Stafford, Paul Weston and His Orchestra, The Pied Pipers, whose version of Mercer's "Dream" is the show's closing theme song. The show would help the careers of all including songwriters Ray Evans and Jay Livingston as well as one of the show's arrangers, Gil Evans.
1947 Sonny Terry (on vocals and harmonica, with Walter "Brownie" McGhee on guitar and Melvin "Daddy" Merritt on piano) records the tracks "Harmonica Rag" (which will be released by Capitol as a single with "Early Morning Blues" on the flip side), "Screamin' And Cryin' Blues" (which will be released as a single on the Capitol Americana label with "Riff And Harmonica Jump" on the flip side), "Beer Garden Blues" (which will be released as a single on the Capitol American label with "Riff And Harmonica Jump" on the flip side), and "Worried Man Blues" (which will be released as a single on the Capitol American label with "Leavin' Blues" on the flip side) with producer David Edwin Dexter, Jr. in New York City, New York on a Thursday.
1948 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Pied Pipers' Capitol Records single "My Happiness" is #8, The Sportsmen's a capella Capitol Records single "You Can't Be True, Dear" is #17, Peggy Lee's Capitol Records single "Mañana" is #19, and The Sportsmen's Capitol Records single "Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)" enters the top 20 at #20
55 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "If You Love Me (Really Love Me) is # 6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Young At Heart" is #7, Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs (the flip side of "If You Love Me" and also with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney) is #8, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Three Coins In A Fountain" is #9, The Four Knights' Capitol Records single "I Get So Lonely (When I Dream About You)" (with "I Couln't Stay Away From You" on the flip side) is #10, and Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Answer Me, My Love" is #11
1958 - Ann Richards (aka Mrs. Stan Kenton, on vocals), with Brian Farnon conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted) using arrangements by Warren Barker, records a re-recoding of "Nightingale" and the tracks "Will You Still Be Mine?", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and "Deep Night", with producer Lee Gillette in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on Richards' Capitol Records debut solo album "I'm Shooting High" (T 1087).
1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1963 - The Beach Boys record the track "Surfer Girl" at Western Studios in Los Angeles, California. This is the first recording where Brian Wilson gets official credit as producer.
1966 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Take Good Care Of Her", with "On The Fingers Of One Hand" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1972 - Apple Records releases John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with Elephant's Memory's album "Sometime In New York City", produced by Phil Spector, with Capitol Records distributing the album in the United States
1976 - Ringo Starr is in the Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, California recording the tracks "A Dose Of Rock 'n' Roll" and "Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love)" for his Capitol Records album "Ringo's Rotogravure". John Lennon (who wrote "Cookin'...") plays piano on the two tracks and will stay out of recording studios for the next 4 years until he begins work on his and Yoko's album "Double Fanatsy" in 1980.
1995 - The Capitol Records/Nettwerk band Skinny Puppy split up
2003 - Billboard Magazine reports that Grammy winner Shelby Lynne has signed with Capitol Records

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1953 - Rocky Burnette, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and son of Liberty Records artist Johnny Burnette, is born in Memphis, Tennessee
1957 - Jimmy Dorsey (born James Dorsey), clarinetist, alto saxophonist, motion picutre actor, televison variety show host with his brother Tommy Dorsey, and big band leader (one of his girl singers included 14 year old future Capitol Records artist Ella Mae Morse, whom he let go when he found out her true age, and his band included future Capitol Records artist and pianist Freddie Slack, who would remember Morse and suggest her as the vocalist for his Capitol Records single "Cow Cow Boogie"), dies of cancer at age 53 in New York City, New York
1961 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Travelin' Man" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and it's flip side "Hello Mary Lou" is #15, Gene McDaniels' Liberty Records single "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" is #19, The Fleetwood's Dolton Records (distributed by Liberty Records) single "Tragedy" is #20, Ernie K-Doe's Minit Records single "Mother-In-Law" is #22, and Don Costa and His Orchestra and Chorus' United Artists Records single "Never On A Sunday" is #37. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Imperial, Liberty, Dolton, Minit and United Artists Records catalogs
1963 - Sarah Vaughan begins sessions for her Roulette Records album "Lonely Hours" when she records, with arranger Benny Carter conducting the studio orchestra (Vince De Rosa, Dick Perissi, Jack Cave, and Bill Hinshaw on french horn; Red Callender on tuba; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Barney Kessel on guitar; Joe Comfort on bass; and Alvin Stoller on drums), the tracks "If I Had You", "What'll I Do", "You're Driving Me Crazy", and "Always On My Mind" at United Recorders' studios in Los Angeles, California
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beatles fly from Sydney, Australia to perform two sets at Centennial Hall, in Adelaide, Australia with Sounds Incorporated, Johnny Devlin, Johnny Chester and The Phantoms, and have a private party in their hotel suite after the show
1965 - George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Richard Starkey (aka Ringo Starr) are appointed Members of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II
1965 - Capitol Records artist Tex Ritter joins The Grand Ole Opry
1976 - The King Biscuit Flour Hour broadcasts Capitol Records group The Steve Miller Band in concert at The Beacon Theater in New York City for broadcast. The performance is at the beginning of the "Fly Like An Eagle" tour and will later show up on the CD "The King Biscuit Flour Hour Presents The Steve Miller Band", released in 2003.
1987 - Dan Seals' EMI America single "I Will Be There", with "It's Gonna Be Easy Now" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY
100 Years Ago Today In 1909 - Archie Bleyer, arranger, band leader (1934 - whose vocalists would include Johnny Mercer), musical director for Arthur Godfrey, record producer, and founder of Cadence Records (1952 - whose roster included Julias LaRosa, The Chordettes, Andy Williams and the Everly brothers), is born in the Corona section of Queens, New York
1938 - At her first commercial recording session, Fourteen year-old future Capitol Records artist Judy Garland, with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (who would also later record for Capitol Records), records the tracks "Stompin' At The Savoy" and "Swing Mr. Charlie" for Decca Records in New York City
1953 - Chet Baker (trumpet) and Stan Getz (tenor sax) perform together with Carson Smith (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums) live at the Haig in Los Angeles, California. This is one of the few times the two would perform together and the show was recorded by engineer Dick Bock.
1962 - Frank Sinatra begins the first of a three day (actually night) series of recording sessions arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon at CTS Bayswater studios in London, England for the album "Great Songs From Great Britain" by recording the track "If I Had You". According to Mark Blackburn's review of the track when it appeared on the later album "Everything Happens To Me", the first take was ruined when there was a problem with Bill Miller's piano so that the second take had to be done with Miller playing a celeste.
2001 - The final episode of Bozo The Clown is taped in Chicago, Illinois and will be aired on WGN-TV on July 14, 2001

JUNE 11, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1952 - Donnie Van Zandt, vocalist, guitarist and founder of the Capitol (single "Teacher Teacher" and on the soundtrack album for the motion picture "Teacher") and Charisma Records (a subsidiary of Virgin Records) group 38 Special and with his brother Johnny Van Zant in the group The Van Zants, is born in Jacksonville, Florida

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Tex Ritter records the tracks "(I Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle" and "Goodbye My Little Cherokee" at has his first Capitol Records recording session (location unknown, but since Capitol was using C. P. MacGregor Studios for other artists at the time, they were probably recorded there). The tracks will be released as the A and B sides respectively of Capitol's tenth 78 rpm single in August 1942.
1946 - Peggy Lee is back at Radio Recorders studios in Los Angeles, California with The Four Of A Kind (Dave Barbour on guitar; Buddy Cole on piano, organ and celeste; Phil Stephens on bass; and Tom Romersa on drums) to record for radio transcription the tracks "The Best Man", "If You Were The Only Boy", "Love Doesn't Grow On Trees", "I Guess I'll Get The Papers And Go Home" and "My Sugar Is So Refined"
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Whiting and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #9, and Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable" is #16
1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Nat "King" Cole's double sided Capitol Records hit "A Blossom Fell" (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) and "If I May" (with The Four Knights on backing vocals and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) is #4, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" is #9, Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #11, and Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is #22
1956 - Bing Crosby with Buddy Bregman's Orchestra record the album "Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings" in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1966 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "Paperback Writer" with "Rain" on the flip side. Rain would be the first popular single to use tape run backwards as part of the song. "Paperback Writer will peak at #1 and "Rain" at #23 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1980 – Paul McCartney & Wings' Apple Records single "Silly Love Songs", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1985 - Ann Murray's Capitol Records album "Heart Over Mind" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1985 - Neil Finn, with Nick Seymour, drummer Paul Hester, and Craig Hooper of The Reels, give their first peformance as The Mullanes (Mullane is Neil's middle name) in Melbourne, Australia. When the group, minus Seymour, relocate to Los Angeles, they change the name of the band to Crowded House (named after their living conditions in L.A.).
1996 - Capitol Records released the 2 CD compilation album "Dean Martin - The Capitol Years" with 40 tracks including previously unreleased material and studio chatter.
2006 - According to a news item on their website, Capitol Records group Queensryche is arrested at the Amsterdam airport for smuggling illegal firearms

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1940 - Joey Dee, actor and lead singer of the Roulette Records group Joey Dee and The Starlighters (best known for the single "Peppermint Twist" and not to be confused with The Starlighters who recorded for Capitol in the 1940's), is born Joseph DiNicola in Passaic, New Jersey. Capitol Records/EMI now owns the Roulette Records catalog. Nick & Renee DiNicola have put together a great site for Joey who still tours as Joey Dee and The Starlighters. Roulette Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1958 - Liberty Records releasese Eddie Cochran's single "Summertime Blues" with "Love Again" on the flip side. Liberty Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1941 - At ceremony #57, Barbara Stanwick and Robert Taylor leave their hand and footprints at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California