APRIL 30, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Mel Blanc is in the studio to record the track "Porky Pig In Africa" for the Capitol Records childrens album "Bugs Bunny Stories For Children". The track is produced by Alan Livingston with music by Billy May and story by Tedd Pierce and Warren Foster.
1949 - Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Sonny Burke)'s Capitol Records single "Careless Hands" is #9 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable" is #11, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #13, Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Need You" is #15, Mel Tormé's Capitol Records single "Blue Moon" is #23, Jack Smith and The Clark Sisters (formerly called The Sentimentalists when they recorded with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra) with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Crusing Down The River" is tied with Gordon MacRae (with studio orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "So In Love" (from the Cole Porter musical "Kiss Me Kate") at #27, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra) is tied with herself at #29 with her Capitol Records single "Forever And Ever" and its flip side "A Wonderful Guy" (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "South Pacific")
1953 - Nelson Riddle conducts his first recording session with Frank Sinatra (Sinatra's second session for Capitol Records) with Voyle Gilmore producing. Recorded that day in Capitol Records' Melrose Studios (the former KHJ radio studios) are the first arrangements credited to Riddle for Sinatra: "I've Got The World On A String", "Don't Worry 'Bout Me", and "I Love You". Riddle "ghost" arranges for Billy May, who is credited on the songs "South Of The Border" and "From Here To Eternity". May is on tour with his own band at the same time as this session. Not bad for a single day's work.
1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Tennessee Ernie Ford with Cliffie Stone's Band's Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #8, Nat "King" Cole with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is #10 and both sides of their single "A Blossom Fell" with "If I May" on the flip side debut at #27
1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1966 - After being introduced by Ernest Tubb, Capitol Records artist Ray Pillow, best known at the time for his duets with Jean Shepard, is made a member of The Grand Ol' Opry 1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Caroline, No" peaks at #32 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. The track was recorded January 31, 1966 at Western Recorders, Hollywood, California and released March 7, 1966 as Capitol single 5610 with Brian Wilson on lead vocals.
1967 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Need You" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1969 - Paul McCartney and John Lennon record overdubs and sound effects for their Apple Records track "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England
1973 - George Harrison's Apple Records single, "Give Me Love", released by Capitol Records in the United States, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1974 - Merle Haggard records the track "Old Man From The Mountain" for Capitol Records
1977 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights" is still #1 on Billboard's singles chart
1977 - Klaatu's self-titled debut album on Capitol Records peaks at #32 on the Billboard album charts and will stay there for 3 weeks
1978 - Dick Curless, bandleader and Capitol Records artist, is inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame
1985 - Mickey Katz, comedian, klezmer style clarinet player, member and vocalist with Spike Jones and His City Slickers, father of Broadway, motion picture and television actor and Capitol Records artist Joel Grey, grandfather of motion picture and television actress Jennifer Grey, and a Capitol recording artist, dies at age 75 and is later interred in the Valley of Remembrance section of Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California
1987 - Apple Records releases The Beatles' albums "Help!", "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" on CD for the first time with there original UK track order and with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States
1995 - Capitol Records artist Roseanne Cash and record producer John Leventhal are married
2000 - Jonah Jones, trumpet player and Capitol Records solo artist, dies at age 91

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1870 - Franz Lehar, composer of the operettas "The Merry Widow and "Naughty Marietta" (selections from both were later recorded by Gordon MacRae and released first as separate 10" albums and later together as a single 12" LP by Capitol Records), is born in what is now Komrno, Slovakia
1928 - Ten year old Stubenville, Ohio native Dino Crocetti (aka future Capitol Records artist Dean Martin) has his first Holy Communion and takes the name Paul as his confirmation name
1933 - Willie Nelson, singer, songwriter, disc jockey, motion picture and television actor, founder of Farm Aid, and Liberty Records artist, is born Willaim Hugh Nelson in Abbott, Texas
1938 - The Warner Bros. cartoon short "Porky's Hare Hunt", debuts in movie theaters, introducing future Capitol Records "artist" Bugs Bunny.
1943 - Bobby Vee, singer and Liberty Records artist (1959-1970), is born Robert Thomas Velline in Fargo, North Dakota

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1927 - Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first to put their hand and footprints in cement outside Sid Graumann's Chinese Theatre at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California
1934 - Jerry Lordon, composer of "Apache", the first big hit for the UK's The Shadows, was born in London, England
1983 - Muddy Waters (born McKinley Morganfield), Blues legend, dies in his sleep at age 68 at his home in Westmont, Illinois

APRIL 29, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1899 - Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, pianist, composer, bandleader, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Washington, D.C.. Ellington would record his last popular hit "Satin Doll" for Capitol Records with producer Dave Dexter, Jr. On his 70th birthday in 1969, Ellington will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
1919 - Celeste Holm, Broadway, motion picture and television actress and Capitol Records artist (original motion picture soundtrack for the movie "High Society") is born in New York City, New York
1934 - Otis Rush, guitarist and Capitol Records artist (signed in 1970), is born near Neshoba, Mississippi
1942 - Klaus Voormann, graphic designer and illustrator (cover of The Beatles' Revolver and Anthology albums), bass player with Manfred Mann, Apple Records group Plastic Ono Band, and on various George Harrison projects including "The Concert For Bangladesh", is born in Berlin, Germany
1968 - Carnie Wilson, singer, television talk show host, daughter of Brian Wilson of the Capitol Records group The Beach Boys and Marilyn Rovell Wilson of the Capitol Records group The Honeys, and co-founder of the SBK Records group Wilson Phillips, is born in Bel Air, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Straighten Up and Fly Right", with "I Can't See For Lookin'" on the flip side, hits #1 on the "Black" charts for the first of ten weeks, and would later cross over to the country and pop charts. The track came from the Trio's first session for Capitol Records.
1944 - Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "I Love You", with "Long Ago And Far Away" on the flip side, is #10 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart
1946 - Les Baxter signs with Capitol Records
1950 - Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Dearie", with "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday" on the flip side, is #11 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely's Capitol Records single "Let's Go To Church (Next Sunday)", with their track "Why Do You Say Those Things?" on the flip side, debuts at #19 and was also #2 on Billboard's Country Best Selling Singles chart
1953 - Nelson Riddle signs a contract to conduct his first Sinatra session at Capitol which will be held the next day on April 30, 1953
1957 - Frank Sinatra records the tracks "Lonely Town" and "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" with arranger Gordon Jenkins
1963 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "On The Bandstand". The album was produced by Ken Nelson during sessions that occured between May and September 1961 in the Capitol Studios in Hollywood and featured Owen's on guitar and vocals, Don Rich on fiddle, guitar, and vocals, Jay McDonalds on steel guitar, Kenny Pierce on electric bass and vocals and Ken Presley on drums.
1974 - Wings' Apple Records album "Band On The Run", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States enters Billboard's Top 100 Albums chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1931 - Lonnie Donegan, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Chrysalis Records artist, is born Anthony James Donegan in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland. Bruce Eder has written a great biography for the Memorable Music Hall of Fame on the man who invented Skiffle and influenced a generation of future British rock and blues musicians including The Beatles.
1933 - Rod McKuen, singer, poet, actor, writer and composer of the song "Two-Ten, Six-Eighteen" recorded by Captiol recording artists The Kingston Trio, and Liberty Records artist, was born in Oakland, CA
1948 - Tommy James, singer, member of the Roulette Records group Tommy James and The Shondells, is born Thomas Jackson in Dayton, Ohio
1953 - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet begin a two day recording session for Pacific Jazz that will produce "Darn That Dream", "I May Be Wrong", "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "The Nearness Of You" and "Tea For Two". The quartet includes Mulligan (sax), Chet Baker (trumpet), Larry Bunker (drums), and Carson Smith (bass).
1992 - Virgin Records America artist Paula Abdul marries actor Emilio Estevez in Santa Monica, California. It is the first marriage for both and Paula will resume her concert tour in two days.
2006 - Former Capitol Records artist Keely Smith and Trio perform live at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood, California. Showtimes were at 8:30 and 10:30 PM. For more info, check out the Catalina's website. They also played the previous night. Any first hand accounts would be much appreciated!

APRIL 28, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1926 - Blossom Dearie, singer, pianist, songwriter and Capitol Records artist (1964 for one album, "May I Come In?", currently available on Blue Note Records, also on the original soundtrack to the television show "Multiplication Rock!"), is born in East Durham, New York
1945 - John Wolters, record producer, singer, and drummer with the Capitol Records group Dr. Hook, is born

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1945 - Johnny Mercer, Jo Stafford and The Pied Pipers (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Candy" is at #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart,
1949 - Smiley Burnette signs with Capitol
1951 - Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Popular Retail Records chart, they are also at #3 with their Capitol Records single "Mockin' Bird Hill", Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young" with Les Baxter conducting the orchestra using Nelson Riddle's arrangement, is at #5, and Stan Kenton and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "September Song" enters the chart at #20
1956 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Poor People Of Paris" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Popular Retail Records chart, Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Lisbon Antigua" is #4, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young To Go Steady" is at #35 (in a three way tie with Bill Haley and The Comets' single "See You Later, Alligator" and George Cates and His Orchestra's single "Moonglow And Theme From 'Picnic'"), and Dean Martin (with Dick Stabile and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Innamorata (Sweetheart)", is at #39 (in a tie with The Four Lads (with Ray Ellis and His Orchestra)'s single "Standing On The Corner")
1957 - Gene Vincent receives a gold record from Capitol during a show in Chicago for sales of over 2 million copies of the single "Be-Bop-A-Lula", which would go on to sell over 9 million copies
1958 - Twelve year-old Laurie London's Capitol Records single "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" is #3 on Billboard's Top 100 Singles chart, Dean Martin (with Gus Levine, His Orchestra, and Chorus)'s Capitol Records single "Return To Me" is #16, The Four Prep's Capitol Records single "Twenty-Six Miles" is #25, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #28, and Ed Townsend's Capitol Records single "For Your Love" is #29 (in a tie with Betty Johnson's single "Little Blue Man")
1958 - Gil Evans signs with Capitol
1965 - The Beatles receive the Grammy for "Best Vocal Performance by a Group" for "A Hard Day's Night
1973 - Pink Floyd's Capitol Records album "Dark Side Of The Moon" hits #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. It'll be #1 for only 1 week, but it will stay on Billboard's charts for 741 weeks.
1974 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Things Aren't Funny Anymore", with "Honky Tonk Night Time Man" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1974 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records single "The Loco-motion" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1985 - Sleepy Willis, who worked with Dick Curless on the Capitol Records album "The Soul of Dick Curless" and later would become Curless' lead guitarist, agent and manager, is inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame
1991 - NBC-TV airs Liberty Records (later to become Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks' network special "This Is Garth Brooks"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1896 - George Ewing Lee, baritone saxophone player, singer, bandleader (George E. Lee and His Novelty Singing Orchestra, which featured his sister, future Capitol Records artist Julia Lee, on vocals and piano), is born in Boonville, Missouri
1958 - David Seville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor" is #1 on Billboard's Top 100 Singles chart, and Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Believe What You Say" is #13 with the flip side "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" at #20. Liberty and Imperial Records' catalogs are currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1979 - Blondie's Chrysalis Records single "Heart Of Glass" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
2006 - Wanda Jackson Capitol Records artist from 1956 to 1973, is on stage at 7:00 pm in the Jensen Concert Hall at the Stephens Performing Arts Center at the Idaho State University in Pocatello. Any first hand accounts would be appreciated!

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
2005 - The U.S. Postal Service has a ceremony in New York City, New York to celebrate the release of a postage stamp featuring E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, writer of such well known songs as "Over the Rainbow" (with Capitol Records artist Harold Arlen) from "The Wizard of Oz" and (with Jay Gorney) "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"

APRIL 27, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1900 - Walter Lantz, cartoonist, studio owner, creator of Woody Woodpecker (which Capitol Records would release a childrens record featuring), Andy Panda, and Chilly Willy, is born Walter Benjamin Lantz in New Rochelle, New York. Walter Lantz Studios was one of future Capitol Records employee Fred Rice first jobs in Hollywood. Rice would later do the artwork for Capitol's Woody Woodpecker's album and promotion materials.
1909 - Jimmie Skinner, singer, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (recorded 15 released singles for Capitol between 1950 and 1953, but no album was ever put together and the singles are a rare find), is born on a farm near Berea, Kentucky. There's also a reference to him being born in Blue Lick, Kentucky. If anyone knows for sure where Jimmie was born, please leave a comment. A great biography can be found on Paul Vidal's site and at the Hillbilly Music site.
1939 - Jerry Mercer, drummer with the Capitol Records group April Wine, is born in Newfoundland, Canada
1947 - Pete Ham, singer, songwriter, guitarist and founder of Apple Records and Capitol Records group Badfinger, is born William Peter Ham in Swansea, Wales

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1955 - Dean Martin and Line Renaud record the track "Relax-Ay-Voo" for Capitol Records
1957 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone", with "Missing Persons" on the flip side, is #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart, Tommy Sand's Capitol Records single "Teenage Crush", with "Hep Dee Hootie (Cutie Wootie)" on the flip side, is #12 (tied with Steve Lawrence's single "Party Doll"), and Sonny James' single "Young Love", with "You're The Reason I'm In Love" on the flip side, is #27
1959 - Bobby Hackett (on coronet, with Stan Brauner on flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, and tenor sax; Dave McKenna on piano; Bill Kahakalau on steel guitar; Billy Bauer or Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar and ukulele; Bob Carter on bass; Dick Scott on drums; and Johnny Cresci on bongos) records the tracks "Orchids From Hawaii", "Ku Nei", "Soft Sands" and "Aloha Oe" for his Capitol Records album "Hawaii Swings" in New York City. The sessions may have been produced by Andy Wiswell. The complete Bobby Hackett Capitol solo sessions are available on Mosaic Records.
1959 - The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "Tijuana Jail", with "Oh Cindy (from the Warner Bros. Picture “Rio Bravo”)" on the flip side, is #15 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart
1966 - Recording begins on The Beatles' track "I'm Only Sleeping" which will appear on their Capitol Records album "Revolver"
1973 - Capitol Records artist Peggy Lee appears in a concert setting on the last episode of former Capitol Records artist Bobby Darin's NBC-TV variety show "The Bobby Darin Show"
1981 - Apple Records and Capitol Records artist Ringo Starr marries his second wife, motion picture actress Barbara Bach, at Marylebone Registry Office in London, England. Paul McCartney and wife Linda, George Harrison and Harry Nilsson were in attendance.
1988 - Great White’s Capitol Records album "Once Bitten" is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.
1990 - Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) releases Garth Brooks' album "No Fences"
1992 - Capitol Records releases it's limited edition promotional 50th Anniversary box set. It contains 8 cds and a hard cover book covering the highights of the previous 50 years of the label's history.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1791 - Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor (most notably of Morse code), painter, and grandfather of Leila Morse (who threw the switch to light the beacon on top of The Capitol Tower that spells out H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D in Morse code for the first time), is born Samuel Finley Breese Morse in Charlestown, Massachusetts
1953 - Gerry Mulligan (on baritone saxophone with Chet Baker on trumpet, Larry Bunker on drums, and Carson Smith on bass), records "My Old Flame" for Pacific Jazz Records with producer Richard Bock at Radio Recorders, in Los Angeles, California.
1959 - Sheena Easton, singer, television actress, and EMI America Records artist, is born Sheena Shirley Orr in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, Scotland
1961 - Lou Donaldson (on alto saxophone with Herman Foster on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, Dave Bailey on drums, and Alec Dorsey on conga drums) records the tracks "Glory of Love", "Gravy Train", "Polka Dots And Moonbeams", "Candy", "South Of The Border", "Twist Time", and "Avalon" for his Blue Note Records album "Gravy Train" with producer Alfred Lion. The album is released in mono in June 1961 and stereo in July, 1962.
1964 - Tollie Records release The Beatles' single "Love Me Do", with "P.S. I Love You" on the flip side, in the United States

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1932 - Casey Kasem, cartoon voice actor (best known as the voice of Shaggy in "Scooby Doo" and Robin in "Batman" and "Superfriends" cartoons), host of "American Top 40" weekly radio show and "America's Top 10" television show, is born Kemal Amin Kasem in Detroit, Michigan

APRIL 26, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1938 - Duane Eddy, guitarist and Capitol Records artist (album "His Twangy Guitar, and The Rebels"), is born in Corning, New York
1942 - Bobby Rydell, singer and Capitol Records artists (after leaving Cameo Records, until 1969, when he signed with Reprise), is born Robert Ridarelli in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1960 - Roger Taylor, drummer and percussionist for the Capitol Records bands Duran Duran and Arcadia, is born in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1952 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "Wheel Of Fortune", with Harold Mooney conducting the orchestra and "Angry" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart, and Ella Mae Morse's Capitol Records single "Blacksmith Blues", with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra and originally released as the flip side of a re-issue of Freddie Slack's "Cow Cow Boogie" and then with "Love Me Or Leave Me" on the flip side, is #3
1962 - Capitol Records records Judy Garland's live performance at Manhattan Center in New York City, New York. Selections from the concert will later be released by Capitol on the albums "Judy Garland, Live" and "Judy Garland: The One and Only". There's a great first hand account of the performance on Steve Jarret's site.
1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys single "Help Me Rhonda" with "Kiss Me Baby" on the flip side
1972 - Buck Owens records the track "Ain't It Amazing, Gracie" which Capitol Records will release as a single with "Good Old Days (Are Here Again)" on the flip side
1977 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights", with "William Tell Overture" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1978 - Apple and Capitol Records artist Ringo Starr stars in his first TV special in the United States - an updated version of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1980 - Dottie West's United Artists Records single "A Lesson In Leavin'", with "Love's So Easy For Two" on the flip side, becomes her first solo single to reach #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1981 - Sheena Easton's EMI America Records single "Morning Train (Nine To Five)", with "Calm Before The Storm" on the flip side is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1984 - Count Basie (born William James Basie), composer, pianist, organist, bandleader, and Roulette Records artist, dies in Hollywood, Florida. Roulette's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1987 - Cutting Crew's Virgin Records America single "(I Just) Died In Your Arms", with "For the Longest Time" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, becoming the group and the label's first #1 single in the United States
1999 - Sinead O'Connor, former Chrysalis Records artist, is ordained as the first woman priest in the Latin Tridentine Church, a Roman Catholic splinter group, as Mother Bernadette Mary. She will next appear as a performer on this day in 2005 when she makes a live on-stage appearance at the fifth annual Jammy Awards in New York City, New York with the group Burning Spear.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1977 - The Studio 54 disco opens in New York City, New York and will close on the same date in 1980

APRIL 25, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1917 - Ella Fitzgerald, singer, motion picture actress, and Capitol Records artist, is born Ella Jane Fitzgerald in Newport News, Virginia. Ella would be one of the first non-Capitol artists to record in Studio A in the Capitol Tower. On August 16, 1956 she, along with Louis Armstrong, would record tracks for their duet album on Verve and 5 days later she would record tracks for her "Sings The Rodgers & Hart Song Book", also on Verve. She would go on to record three albums for Capitol with producer Dave Dexter, Jr.
1958 - Derek William Dick (aka Fish), vocalist and guitarist with the Capitol Records group Marillion is born in Edinburgh, Scotland,

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Pappy "Gube" Beaver signs with Capitol
1953 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Pretend", with orchestra conducted by arranger Nelson Riddle, is #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart, Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April In Portugal" is #6, Jane Froman's Capitol Records single "I Believe", conducted by Sid Feller, is #18 and Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Can't I?", also with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra is #19
1956 - Capitol Records artist Peggy Lee marries her third husband, actor Dewey Martin
1961 - The Louvin Brothers sign with Capitol
1964 - According to the Ottawa Journal "Hit Parade", The Beatles hold the 1, 2 & 3 slots in Canada with, respectively, the singles "Twist and Shout", "Can't Buy Me Love" and "All My Loving"
1967 - The Beatles record the track "Magical Mystery Tour"
1968 - The Beatles' Apple Corps, Ltd. begins operations in its London offices
1971 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Empty Arms", with "Everything Begins And Ends With You" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1981 - Capitol Records group Wings disbands when guitarist Denny Laine quits
1983 - Capitol Records re-releases Duran Duran's self titled album "Duran Duran" in the U.S., with the addition of the track "Is There Something I Should Know? as well as new photos, where it will peak at #10
1992 - Capitol Records vocal group The 5 Keys are inducted into the United In Group Harmony Association Hall of Fame. The group does an impromptu performance which will be the last by its original members.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1973 - Former Capitol Records artist Dean Martin marries his third wife, Catherine Mae Hawn
1975 - Future Capitol Records band Sweet's Bell Records single "Little Willy" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1990 - Dexter Gordon, saxophonist, Academy Award nominated motion picture actor, and Blue Note Records artist, dies at age 67 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

APRIL 24, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1892 - Eddie Cantor, vaudeville, Broadway, and motion picture actor, radio and television variety show host, and Capitol Records artist, is born Isadore Edward Iskowitz
1914- Ray Leatherwood, bass player with Capitol Records artist Les Brown and His Band of Renown, also with Bob Chester's Orchestra, The Jack Teagarden Sextet, helped back Liberty Records singers Julie London, and Matt Dennis, toured with Capitol Records artist Bob Hope's troupe on 20 Christmas visits to U. S. military bases around the world for the U.S.O., and worked with Rosy McHargue's Ragtimers, but only for recording sessions, is born in Itasca, Texas
1942 - Barbra Streisand, singer, Broadway and motion picture actress, televison variety special host and guest, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Emmy awards winner, and Capitol Records artist (the original Broadway cast album for "Funny Girl") is born Barbara Joan Streisand in Brooklyn, New York

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1948 - Peggy Lee (with then husband Dave Barbour and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Manana" is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart and The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #7
1950 - Mel Blanc is back in the studio again to records tracks for the children's singles "Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha" and "Daffy Duck Meets Yosemite Sam" Both tracks are produced by Alan Livingston with story by Warren Foster and Michael Maltese and music by Billy May. On "Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha" additional uncredited vocals are provided by Arthur Q. Bryan. On "Daffy Duck Meets Yosemite Sam" Vance "Pinto" Colvig, also the voice of Bozo for Capitol and Goofy for Disney, provides additional uncredited vocals.
1954 - Frank Sinatra's Capitol Records single "Young At Heart", with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra and "Take A Chance" on the flip side, is #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Answer Me, My Love", also with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra and "Why" on the flip side, is #6, Kay Starr (with Harold Mooney conducting the orchestra) has a hit double sided Capitol Records single with "The Man Upstairs" at #12 and it's flip side "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)" at #13, and Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "I Really Don't Want To Know", with "South" on the flip side, debuts at #20.
1967 - 40 YEARS AGO TODAY - THE PINK FLOYD'S FIRST SINGLE IS RELEASED IN AMERICA
Capitol Records' subsidiary Tower Records (no relation to the much missed chain of record stores) releases the first single in the U.S. by "The Pink Floyd" - "Arnold Layne" with "Candy And A Current Bun" on the flip side (Tower 333). The track is written by Syd Barrett and features "The Light Kings of England" - Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright. For more information on Pink Floyd's discography on Tower Records, read this definitive article by Vernon Fitch.. For more on the discography, and life, of late Syd Barret go to Stephen Scheider's tribute site.
1974 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records single "The Loco-motion", with "Destitute & Losin'" on the flip side, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1975 - Pete Ham (born William Peter Ham), singer, songwriter, and a founder and leader of the groups The Panthers, The Iveys and Apple Records and Capitol Records group Badfinger, hangs himself in the garage of his home in London, England at age 27, three days before his 28th birthday
1977 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights", with "William Tell Overture" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Glenn Cornick, bass player with the Chrysalis Records band Jethro Tull and the band Wild Turkey is born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1957 - Future Imperial and Capitol Records artist Ricky Nelson's first single, "A Teenager's Romance", with "I'm Walkin'" on the flip side, is released by Verve Records and sells 60,000 copies in three days
1959 - The final episode of "Your Hit Parade", the Saturday night pop-music show that's been running on radio since April 1935, and on television since 1950, is broadcast

APRIL 23, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Mel Blanc has his first Capitol children's records session where he'll record "Bugs Bunny Meets Elmer Fudd" and "Daffy Duck Flies South" for the children's album "Bugs Bunny's Stories for Children" which was produced by Alan Livingston with stories by Tedd Pierce and Warren Foster, music by Billy May and with Arthur Q. Bryan supplying additional vocals.
1949 - Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable", the flip side of "I Need You", debuts at #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart where it will peak the next week at #3
1949 - Mel Tormé has three Capitol Records singles in the top 20 of Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart: "Careless Hands" (with orchestra conducted by Sonny Burke), with "She's A Home Girl" on the flip side, is at #9, "Again" (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo) debuts at #18 and it's flip side, "Blue Moon", debuts at #20 (in a tie with Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks' single "Blue Skirt Waltz")
1961 - Judy Garland's Sunday night concert at Carnegie Hall is recorded live by Capitol Records and rush released as a double album which will go on to win 5 Grammys and be the #1 album for 13 weeks. It will be remastered and re-released in 2001 for its 40th anniversary under the supervision of then VP of Catalog A&R Paul Atkinson
1967 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Need You", with "On And On" on the flip side, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1969 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Galveston", with "How Come Every Time I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin' You" on the flip side, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1969 - The Beach Boys finish recording the track "Break Away", written by Murray Wilson and produced by Brian Wilson with Carl Wilson on lead vocals. The track will be released as a single, with "Celebrate The News" on the flip side, by Capitol Records on June 23, 1969 and peak at #63 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.
1986 - Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck in Buffalo, New York), bandleader, pianist, Broadway actor, singer, composer ("Stormy Weather", "Over The Rainbow" and many others and worked with "Yip" Harburg, Capitol Records' co-founder Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, and others) and Capitol Records artist, dies at age 81 in New York City, New York and is later interred next to his wife, Anya Taranda, in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York
1988 - Iron Maiden's Capitol Records album "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1924 - The Gramophone Company (later to become EMI, Capitol Music Group's parent company) records His Majesty King George V's speech at the opening of the Wembley Exhibition. The recording was made by a semi-electrical process with the wireless loudspeaker connected by a short tube to the recording box.
1936 - Roy Orbison, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Virgin Records America recording artist, is born Roy Kelton Orbison in Vernon, Texas
1942 - Sandra Dee, motion picture actress and future wife of Capitol Records artist Bobby Darin, is born Alexandra Zuck
1962 - Decca Records releases Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers (aka The Beatles with Pete Best on drums) single "My Bonnie", with "The Saints" (aka "When the Saints Go Marching In") on the flip side, in the United States
1994 - Pink Floyd's Columbia Records album "The Division Bell" debuts at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart where it will stay for 4 weeks. spending 4 weeks as the top album in the country. The album will becertified Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum in the US in June of 1994 and Triple Platinum in January of 1999. Pink Flyod's catalog is now distributed by Capitol Records.

APRIL 22, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1936 - Glen Campbell, guitarist, singer, motion picture actor, television variety show host, a Capitol Records session artist and solo artist, is born in Delight, Arkansas

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1949 - The Miles Davis Nonet (with Davis on trumpet, Kenny Clarke on drums, J.J. Johnson on trombone, Lee Konitz on alto saxophone, John Lewis on piano, Gerry Mulligan on baritone saxophone, Bill Barber on tuba, Nelson Boyd on double bass, and Sandy Siegelstein on french horn) record the tracks "Venus De Milo" (arranged by Gerry Mulligan), "Boplicity" (arranged by Gil Evans), "Israel" (arranged by Johnny Carisi), and "Rouge" (arranged by John Lewis). The session, set up by Capitol A&R man Walter Rivers (a cousin of Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer, who also signed Yma Sumac to the label) and produced by Pete Rugolo, was held Capitol Records' studio in New York City, New York. Eventually all the tracks were released by Capitol Records on the album "Birth Of The Cool".
1958 - Ethel Ennis records Harry Warren's "Serenade in Blue" for her Capitol album "Have You Forgotten" (Capitol T1078) with the orchestra conducted by Sid Feller. For more on Ethel Ennis go to this New York Times article.
1961 - Capitol Records artist Faron Young is one of the headliners (which also include Webb Pierce, Porter Wagoner, Patsy Cline and Earl Scruggs) at the first annual Country Music Festival held in United States at the 13,000-seater Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida
1963 - Gene Vincent's recording contract with Capitol Records expires. His last recording for the label is a remake of "Be-Bop-A-Lula"
1969 - John Lennon legally changes his middle name from Winston to Ono in a ceremony on the rooftop of The Beatles' Apple Building and later requires that all of his Gold Record awards bear the correct legal name, John Ono Lennon
1970 - Variety magazine runs an article entitled "Split Of Beatles Clips Capitol Industries Stocks"
1987 - Irving C. Ashby, guitarist in the Capitol Record group The King Cole Trio, dies in Perris, California at age 66

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - David Seville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor", with "Don't Whistle At My Baby" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Pop Singles charts. Seville (aka Ross Bagdasarian) would use the techniques from this single to create the sound of The Chimpmunks.
1978 - Kenny Rogers and Dottie West's United Artists Records single "Every Time Two Fools Collide", with "We Love Each Other" on the flip side, is still #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts. United Artist's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1979 - Blondie's Chrysalis Records single "Heart Of Glass" with "11:59" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1990 - Sinead O' Connor's Chrysalis Records album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

APRIL 21, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1924 - Ira Louvin, singer, songwriter, guitarist, 2001 Country Music Hall Of Fame inductee, part of the Capitol Records duo The Louvin Brothers with his brother Charlie and a solo Capitol Records artist, is born Ira Lonnie Loudermilk in Rainsville,near Section, Alabama. Ira was inducted with his brother into the Alabama Hall of Fame in 1991 with a Lifework Award for Performaning Achievement. They have a great biography of the brothers on their website.
1968 - Michael Franti, poet, songwriter, musician, singer, member of the Island Records group The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and the Capitol Records group Spearhead, is born in Oakland, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Mel Blanc starts recording tracks for the Capitol Record Reader "Bugs Bunny In Storyland" and will finish the next day. The sessions are produced by Alan Livingston, with music by Billy May. The story is by Tedd Pierce and Warren Foster with illustrations for the attached booklet by Robert McKimson and Richard Thomas. Also on the record, but uncredited, were Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) and June Foray. Jack Tatay maintains a great site about all the Capitol childrens records with Warner Brothers cartoon characters, with lots of images and sound clips.
1951 - Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon", with "Walkin' and Whistlin' Blues" on the flip side, is still #1 on the U.S. Pop singles chart and Capitol Records releases their single "Mockingbird Hill", with Les Paul's "Chicken Reel" on the flip side
1953 - The Ballet Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Levine, records the track "Undertow" written by William Schuman in New York City which Capitol Records will later release on album P-8238 with a recording of "Billy The Kid" (Ballet Suite) by Aaron Copland on the flip side
1968 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "The Legend Of Bonnie And Clyde" with "I Started Loving You Again" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country Singles Chart
1975 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Always Wanting You", with "I've Got A Yearning" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
2000 - Neal Matthews, singer with the Capitol Records group The Jordanaires, dies in Nashville, Tennessee at age 70

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1908 - Alfred Lion, record producer and founder of Blue Note Records, is born in Berlin, Germany. Blue Note Records is currently a division of Capitol Music Group and its catalog is currently owned by Capitol's parent company, EMI Music Group
1931 - The Gramophone Company Ltd and The Columbia Gramophone Company Ltd merge and register a holding company - "Electric and Musical Industries Ltd". Alfred Clark (The Gramophone Company) becomes Chairman, and Louis Sterling (The Columbia Company) becomes Managing Director. In 1955 E.M.I., under the helm of then managing director Joseph Lockwood (later chairman Sir Joseph Lockwood), bought controling interest in Capitol Records for $3 million dollars, and Glenn Wallichs joined the board of E.M.I.. Lockwood was criticized for paying so much but, within 4 years, Capitol would be worth an estimated $85 million. The E.M.I. Group's website has a good history section.
1955 - Capitol Records artist Bob Hope's NBC radio program airs its last segment
1963 - Future Capitol Records artists The Beatles and future Virgin Records artists The Rolling Stones meet for the first time at a Rolling Stones performance at The Crawdaddy Club, in Richmond, England

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1985 - Irving Mills, music publisher, dies in Palm Springs, California at age 91

APRIL 20, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1908 - Lionel Hampton, drummer, band leader, vibraphone player, percussionist, solo artist and with Capitol Records artist Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, is born in Louisville, Kentucky
1922 - Frank "Hylo" Brown, Jr., vocalist for Capitol Records artist Bradley Kincaid, with his own bluegrass band The Timberliners, and a Capitol Records solo artist, is born in River, Johnson County, Kentucky. He would get his nickname "Hylo" from his wide vocal range. Brown would go to be lead singer for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, and be inducted into the Grand Ol' Opry, the Kentucky Hall of Fame and become the 52nd member of the SPBGMA's Preservation Hall of Greats.
1948 - Craig Frost, keyboardist for the Capitol Records group Grand Funk Railroad, is born in Flint, Michigan.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Jo Stafford's Capitol Records single "I Love You", with "Long Ago And Far Away" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
1952 - Pee Wee Hunt's Capitol Records single "Oh!", with "San" on the flip side, becomes a million seller
1958 - Laurie London's Capitol Records single "He’s Got the Whole World (In His Hands)", with "Handed Down" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, after becoming the third single to be certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. on March 14, 1958
1960 - The Kingston Trio record the track "Bad Man's Blunder" for Capitol Records, which is the last single to feature the line up of Dave Guard, Nick Reynold and Bob Shane. This was also the first time Dave Guard recorded playing the first 12 string guitar made by Gibson Guitars, which was custom built for him.
1963 - The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "Reverend Mr. Black", with "One More Round" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1969 - The last original episode of The Beatles' King Features Syndicate cartoon show aired on ABC. Paul Frees voiced John and George and Lance Percival did Ringo and Paul.
1974 - Capitol Records releases Paul McCartney & Wing's Apple Records single "Band On The Run", with Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five" on the flip side, in the United States
1974 - Savannah Churchill, singer, singer for Capitol Records artist Benny Carter and His Orchestra, and a Capitol Records solo artist (1943-1945 with tracks that included "Hurry, Hurry" written by Carter for her and "Just a Baby's Prayer at Twilight"), dies in Brooklyn, New York at age 54
1974 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records single "The Loco-Motion", with "Destitute & Losin’" on the flip side, enters the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1976- The Sylvers' Capitol Records single "Boogie Fever", with "Free Style" on the flip side, is certified Gold
1977- Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights", with "William Tell Overture" on the flip side, is certified Gold
1985 - Katrina and The Waves' Capitol Records single "Walking On Sunshine", with "Going Down To Liverpool" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1986 - Anne Murray's Capitol Records single "Now And Forever (You And Me)", with "I'd Fall In Love Tonight" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1953 - Miles Davis records an alternate take of "Enigma" for Blue Note Records at WOR Studios in New York City, New York. Besides Miles on trumpet, also at the session were Art Blakey (Drums), Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Percy Heath (double bass), Gil Coggins (piano). The session was produced by Alfred Lion and Doug Hawkins was the recording engineer. Blue Note Records is a division of Capitol Music Group and it's catalog is currently owned by Capitol's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1960 - Tommy Guard, son of Capitol Records artist Dave Guard (part of The Kingston Trio), is born
1960 - Pianist Horace Parlan, along with George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums, records seven tracks, including the title song for his "Us Three" Blue Note Records album, at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey studio. Blue Note Records is a division of Capitol Music Group and it's catalog is currently owned by Capitol's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1980 - Dottie West's United Artists Records single "A Lesson In Leavin'", with "Love Is Easy" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1935 - The first episode of "Your Hit Parade", starring Kay Thompson, Charles Carlyle, Gogo DeLys and Johnny Hanser, is broadcast on radio. The show will air for the next 24 years and future Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra will later be a featured vocalist on the program.

APRIL 19, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1927 - Don Barbour, singer in the Capitol Records group The Four Freshmen, is born in Greencastle, Indiana

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra, records the tracks "All Of Me", "Jeepers Creepers", "Get Happy", and "Taking A Chance On Love" for his Capitol Records album "Swing Easy" at Capitol Records' Melrose Studios in Hollywood, California
1956 - Actress Grace Kelly, actress and Capitol Records artist (on the motion picture soundtrack to "High Society", and whose duet with Bing Crosby on the single "True Love" earned a Gold record [the last in Crosby's career]), marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco
1957 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone", with "Missing Persons" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1964 - The Beatles pre-record the tracks "Can't Buy Me Love"; "I Wanna Be Your Man"; "Long Tall Sally"; a medley that used "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me", "From Me To You", "She Loves You", and "I Want to Hold Your Hand"; "Roll Over Beethoven"; "Shout"; and "Twist and Shout" for an Associated Rediffusion UK TV special "Around The Beatles that will air on May 9, 1964
1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "Ticket To Ride" with "Yes It Is" on the flip side
1975 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records single "Bad Time", with "Good And Evil" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1990 - Dave Dexter, author, Kansas City reporter for Down Beat magazine (his reviews for Count Basie and His Orchestra got the band noticed), Capitol Records publicity and A&R man (got Peggy Lee to come out of retirement, signed Nellie Lutcher and Julia Lee) and record producer (The History Of Jazz series, New American Jazz all star album, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others), VP of A&R of Capitol Records' International division (created over 500 albums for "The Capitol Of The World" series of world music), remixed the early albums by The Beatles' (until Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) for U.S. release, editor and writer for Billboard Magazine, dies in Sherman Oaks, California at age 74. His papers have been donated to the University of Missoui Kansas City and they have a great biography of Dave as part of their Club Kaycee website.
2001 - Billy Idol and his band travel to New York City to tape his edition of "VH1 Storytellers." Ten months after the taping, on February 26, 2002, Capitol Records will release "Billy Idol's VH1 Storytellers" featuring 14 songs from the session including three tracks from his days fronting the band Generation X ("Dancing With Myself," "Kiss Me Deadly," "Ready Steady Go") to his 1983 solo hit, "White Wedding" and Idol's covers of Tommy James & the Shondell's "Mony, Mony" and the Doors' "L.A. Woman".

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1981 - Sheena Easton's EMI America single "Morning Train (Nine to Five)", with "Calm Before The Storm" on the flip side, is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1995 - The Georgia legislature declares April 19, 1995 to be Johnny Mercer Day in the state for Mercer's "outstanding contributions to the field of music". Johnny Mercer is a co-founder of Capitol Records.

APRIL 18, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1882 - Leopold Stokowski, conductor, band leader and Capitol Records artist as part Leopold Stokowski and His Symphony Orchestra, is born in London, England
1952 - Jim Scholten, singer and bass player for the Liberty Records, Capitol Records Nashville, and Curb Records group Sawyer Brown, is born in Midland, Michigan

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Capitol Records Recording Department is established with Bill Miller as boss. Miller would, 21 years later, "prepare for release" The Beatles "Yesterday ...And Today" and "Revolver" albums. He was also an A&R and producer. He was responsible for signing and producing Jackie Davis and producing sessions for June Christy, Benny Goodman, The Four Freshmen, Sebastian Temple, Warren Durrett and even co-produced Ted Cassidy's novelty record "The Lurch". The current manager is Paula Salvatore, who has guided the always busy Capitol Studios since 2001. Check out Capitol Studios' website for more information. There's also a great article about the Capitol Studios on the studio expresso website.
1962 - Buck Owens records "Save The Last Dance For Me" which will be released by Capitol Records on a single with "King Of Fools" on the flip side and enter the Country single charts on May 24, 1962
1966 - Wanda Jackson records the track "I Talk A Pretty Story" at Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Ken Nelson which will be released as a single by Capitol Records as the flip side of "Little Soldier Boy" in July 1968
1977 - The Steve Miller Band's Capitol Records album "Fly Like An Eagle" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1989 - Judge Robert Takasugi bars Curb Records from releasing Donny Osmond's album and single "Soldier Of Love" in the United States. Owner Mike Curb (who had signed The Osmonds to M-G-M Records in 1970) had argued that he had a verbal agreement with Osmond to release the album previously released by Virgin Records in the UK which Osmond denied. Capitol Records will release the album in the United States on April 25, 1989
1996 - Bernard Edwards, record producer with partner Nile Rodgers for Diana Ross, Debbie Harry, Norma Jean Wright, and Sister Sledge; solo producer for Rod Stewart, Nona Hendryx, ABC, Starpoint, and Missing Persons; songwriter, bass player, and producer for the group Chic and the Capitol Records band Power Station, dies of pnuemonia in his hotel room in Tokyo, Japan at age 43 after peforming with a reformed Chic as well as with guests Simon Le Bon, Slash, Steve Winwood and Sister Sledge, at The SuperProducers tribute show for Niles Rodgers, who had been named JT SuperProducer of the Year in Japan, at the Budokan Arena

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1929 - Future Capitol Records artist Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (which includes at the time Gene Krupa and future Capitol Records artists Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden) record Glenn Miller's arrangement of "Indiana" for Brunswick Records in New York City, New York

APRIL 17, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1936 - David Axelrod, composer, arranger, record producer, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Los Angeles, California
1967 - Liz Phair, musician, singer, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist is born in New Haven, Connecticut

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Merle Travis' Capitol Records single "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed", with "Sweet Temptation" on the flip side, is still #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1960 - Capitol Records artist Gene Vincent is seriously injured after the taxicab hired after a gig in Bristol, England, blows a tire while rounding a curve on the way back to London, England and crashes into a cement post at 70 mph on the A4 at Chippenham, Wilshire. Vincent survives with a badly injured leg that will give him a limp for the rest of his life, but Liberty Records artist Eddie Cochran, who was touring with Vincent and shared the cab, is killed at age 21 and Cochran's girlfriend, songwriter Sharon Sheeley, is seriously injured. Cochran is later interred in the Forest Lawn Cypress cemetery in Cypress, California.
1969 - Capitol Records group The Band make their solo stage debut at the Winterland, San Francisco
1970 - Apple Records releases Paul McCartney's first solo album, "McCartney", which is distributed by Capitol Records in the United States. McCartney plays all the instruments heard on the album.
1970 - The Beatles officially disband
1971 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Empty Arms", with "Everything Begins And Ends With You" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1973 – Tavares signs with Capitol Records
1976 - Paul McCartney and Wings' Capitol Records single "Silly Love Songs", with "Oh Woman Oh Why" on the flip side, is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1987 - Croweded House's Capitol Records single "Don’t Dream It’s Over", with "That's What I Call Love" on the flip side, is #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1998 - Linda McCartney (born Linda Eastman), photographer, activist, creator and owner of a vegetarian frozen meal company, keyboard player, singer, wife of Capitol Records artist Paul McCartney, member of the Capitol Records band Wings, and, posthumously, a Capitol Records solo artist, dies of breast cancer at age 56
2000 - Godhead signs with Capitol Records

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Imperial Records releases Fats Domino's single "Ain't That a Shame", with "Goin' Home" on the flip side. Imperial's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Records parent company.
1957 - Composer, arranger and conductor Johnny Richards (with Al Stewart, Charlie Shavers, Burt Collins, and Ray Copeland on trumpets; Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, and Frank Rehak on trombones; Julius Watkins on french horn; Jay McAllister on tuba; Gene Quill on alto saxophone; Seldon Powell and 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; Jimmy Campbell on drums; Joe Venuto on tympani; Sol Gubin on maracas; Pete Terrace on bongos; Umbaldo Nieto on timbales; Carlos Valdes on congas; Raymond Rodriguez on tambauri; and Al Epstein on percussion) records the self-penned tracks "La Pecadora" and "Ofo" for his Roulette Records album "The Rites Of Diablo" at Webster Hall in New York City, New York. Roulette's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Records parent company.
1965 - Liberty Records releases Gary Lewis and The Playboys' single "Count Me In" with "Little Miss Go-Go" on the flip side. Liberty's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Records parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1924 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios is formed after a merger of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and The Louis B. Mayer Company.
1937 - Daffy Duck debuts in the Warner Bros.' cartoon "Porky's Duck Hunt"

APRIL 16, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1971 - Selena, singer, actress and EMI Latin Records (a division of Capitol Records) artist, is born Selena Quintanilla Perez in Lake Jackson, Texas

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Betty Hutton's Capitol Records single "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief", with "A Square In The Social Circle" on the flip side enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart
1948 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy", the flip side of "Lost April", enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart
1951 - Capitol Custom Division is started
1969 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Galveston", with "How Come Every Time I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin' You" on the flip side, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1973 - Paul McCartney stars in his first TV special, "James Paul McCartney", which features his new band, Wings
1994 - Bonnie Raitt's Capitol Records album "Longing In Their Hearts" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1889 - Charlie Chaplin, actor, writer, motion picture actor, director and producer, and co-founder of United Artists Pictures, is born Charles Spencer Chaplin in Walworth, London, England. United Artists would later create United Artists Records whose catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group
1918 - Spike Milligan, comedian, musician, radio (most notably on BBC Radio's "The Goon Show"), television, and motion picture writer and actor, Parlophone Records recording artist as part of "The Goon Show" cast with producer George Martin, is born Terence Alan Milligan in Ahmed Nagar or Ahmadnagar, India
1929 - Edie Adams, singer, Broadway (originated the role of Daisy Mae in the Johnny Mercer musical "Li'l Abner" and won the 1956 Tony award for her perfomance), motion picture and television actress, one time wife of comedian, motion picture and television actor Ernie Kovacs, one time wife of trumpet player and Capitol Records artist Pete Candoli, is born Elizabeth Edith Enke in Kingston, Pennsylvania
1935 - "Fibber McGee and Molly" debuts on NBC Radio. Future Capitol Records music director Paul Weston will begin doing arrangements for the show in 1940 and future Capitol Records artist Martha Tilton will be on the show for about a year starting in 1941. One of Capitol Records' first album releases will be "On The Night Before Christmas" which features the cast of the show (Jim and Marion Jordan) as well as the vocal group The King's Men, with the orchestra conducted by Billy Mills and music and vocal arrangements by Ken Darby.
1947 - Gerry Rafferty, singer, guitartist, member of the groups The Humblebums and Stealers Wheel, and United Artists Records solo artist, is born in Paisley, Scotland
1979 - Kenny Rogers and Dottie West's United Artists Records single "Every Time Two Fools Collide", with "We Love Each Other" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart

APRIL 15, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1908 - eden ahbez, songwriter (best known for Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records track "Nature Boy"), is born Alexander Aberle in Brooklyn, New York
1909 - Vern Yocum, clarinetist, alto and baritone saxophone player, vocalist, copyist, orchestrator, whose company maintained the arrangement libraries for Capitol Records artists Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Nelson Riddle, Roy Clark, and Nancy Wilson as well as for Rosemary Clooney, Frankie Lane, Trini Lopez, and Julie Andrews, brother of Capitol Records group The Pied Pipers singer Clark Yocum, is born George Vernon Yocum in Sunbury, Pennsylvania
1933- Roy Clark, singer, guitarist, banjo player, motion picture actor, television variety show host, and Capitol Records artist, is born Roy Linwood Clark in Meherrin, Virginia
1968- Ed O'Brien, guitarist and vocalist with the Capitol Records group Radiohead, is born Edward John O'Brien in Oxford, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford's Capitol Records single "Candy", with "I'm Gonna See My Baby" on the flip side, is #4 on the U.S. Pop singles charts
1951 - Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon", with "Walkin' And Whistlin' Blues" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Pop singles charts
1971 - Buck Owens records the track "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms" which will be released as a single by Capitol Records with "Corn Liquor" on the flip side
1972 - Ringo Starr's Apple Records single, "Back Off Boogaloo", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States with "Blindman" on the flip side, enters the top 40 Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1978 - Sweet's Capitol Records single "Love Is Like Oxygen", with "Cover Girl" on the flip side, enters the top 40 Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1989 - Donny Osmond's Capitol Records single "Soldier Of Love", with "My Secret Touch" on the flip side, enters the top 40 Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. I met Donny in 1988 at the listening party for Ziggy Marley and The Melody Maker's first Virgin Records album "Consious Party", which was held at Virgin's first office in Beverly Hills, California
1990 - Dan Seals' Capitol Records single "Love On Arrival", with "Those" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1998 - Rose Maddox, singer, with the group The Maddox Brothers & Rose, and a Capitol Records solo artist, dies in Ashland, Oregon at age 72

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1977 - Kenny Rogers United Artists Records single "Lucille" (aka Country Music's "National Anthem"), with "Till I Get It Right" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1979 - Kenny Rogers and Dottie West's United Artists Records single "All I Ever Need Is You", with "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1990 - Sinead O'Connor's Chrysalis Records single "Nothing Compares 2 U", with "Jump In The River" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1927 - Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Norma and Constance Talmadge become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood

APRIL 14, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1924 - Shorty Rogers, trumpet player, band leader, composer, arranger, and member of Capitol Records band Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, is born Milton M. Rajonsky in Great Barrington, Massachusettes
1925 - Rod Steiger, Broadway and motion picture actor and singer, and Capitol Records artist (1955 on the "Oklahoma!" motion picture soundtrack), is born Rodney Stephen Steiger in Westhampton, New York.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)", with "The Man Upstairs" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
1958 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back", with "Do I Like It" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
1969 - Paul McCartney and John Lennon finish recording the track "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England. The first track released as a single by The Beatles not to feature George Harrison and Ringo Starr
1980 - The Knack's Capitol Records album "…But The Little Girl's Understand" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1983 - Tina Turner signs with Capitol Records
1975 - Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel), motion picture actor and Capitol Records artist (narrator on the album "Hark The Years"), dies at age 77
1990 - Heart's Capitol Records single "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", with "Call Of The Wild" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1991 - Wilson Phillip's SBK Records (a division of Capitol Records) single "You're In Love" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1959 - The Fleetwood's Liberty Records single "Come Softly To Me", with "I Care So Much" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1990 - Thurston Harris, singer (best know for the track "Little Bitty Pretty One") and Aladdin Records artist, dies in Pomona, California at age 58. I designed the album cover, with art director Henry Marquez, for EMI America's release of Harris' "Greatest Hits" album in 1986.

APRIL 13 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1951 - Peabo Bryson, singer and Capitol Records artist, is born in Greenville, South Carolina

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Andy Russell's Capitol Records single "Besame Mucho", with "You're The Dream, I'm The Dreamer" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Country singles charts
1963 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Act Naturally", with "Over And Over Again" on the flip side, enters the U.S. Country singles charts where it will eventually become Owens' first #1
1963 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfin' U.S.A.", with "Shut Down" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1965 - The Beatles win the Grammy award for Best New Artist of the Year
1969 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Galveston", with "How Come Every Time I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin' You" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1974 - Wings' Apple Records album "Band on the Run", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart
1975 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Always Wanting You", with "I've Got A Yearning" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1977 - Natalie Cole's Capitol Records single "I've Got Love On My Mind", with "Unpredictable You" on the flip side, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1992 - Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) releases Linda Davis' album "Linda Davis"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1923 - Don Adams, comedian, television and motion picture actor, animated cartoon voice artist, and Roulette and United Artists Records artist, is born Donald James Yarmy in New York City, New York
1980 - Blondie's Chrysalis Records single "Call Me", with an instrumental version of the song by Georgio Moroder on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1983 - Sheena Easton and Kenny Rogers' duet Liberty Records single "We've Got Tonight", with Rogers' "You Are So Beautiful" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts. Liberty Records catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1991 - Queensryche's EMI America Records single "Silent Lucidity", with "The Mission (Live)" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

APRIL 12, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1908, 1913 or 1914 - Some sources give this as the birthdate of Lionel Hampton, drummer, band leader, vibraphone player, percussionist, solo artist and with Capitol Records artist Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, but the majority say that Lionel Leo Hampton was born April 20, 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky
1918 - Helen Forrest, singer with the bands of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Lionel Hampton, and a Capitol Records solo artist (1955, with the album "Voice Of The Name Bands"), is born in Atlantic City, New Jersey
1967 - Mellow Man Ace, rapper, songwriter, brother of Sen Dog of the group Cypress Hill, and a Capitol Records artist, is born Ulpiano Sergio Reyes in Pinar del Rio, Cuba

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1963 - Dick Dale signs with Capitol Records
1971 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens single "Ruby (Are You Mad)", which will peak at #3 on December 4, 1971, with "Heartbreak Mountain" on the flip side
1989 - Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) releases Garth Brooks' album "Garth Brooks"
1998 - James B. Conkling, one time VP at Capitol Records, who went on to be president of Columbia Records, co-founder of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, helped launch and was first president of Warner Bros. Records, married Donna King (member of the Capitol Records group The King Sisters), father of actress Xandra Conkling (aka Donna Alexandra Conkling) and actor and screenwriter Chris Conkling, dies at Sutter Oaks Alzheimer's Hospital in Sacramento, California at age 83

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1966 - Jan Berry, songwriter, record producer, singer and Liberty Records artist as part of the duo Jan And Dean, crashes his white Corvette in Los Angeles, California suffering severe physical and mental injuries from which he will never fully recover but will be able to perform again

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - Bill Haley And His Comets' have their first session for Decca Records at the Pythian Temple in New York City, New York, where they record the track "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock"

APRIL 11, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1921 - Dorothy Shay (aka "The Park Avenue Hillbilly"), singer, comedian, actress, and Capitol Records artist, is born Dorothy Nell Sims in Jacksonville, Florida
1932 - Joel Grey, singer, dancer, Broadway, motion picture, and television performer, son of comedian and Capitol Records artist Mickey Katz, father of motion picture and television actress Jennifer Grey and chef James Grey, and Capitol Records artist, is born Joel David Katz in Cleveland, Ohio
1970 - Dylan Keefe, bass player and background vocalist in the the Capitol Records group Marcy Playground is born

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Jean Shepard records the tracks "Satisfied Mind", which Capitol Records will release as a single with "Take Possession" on the flip side in May 1955, and "Beautiful Lies", which Capitol will release with "I Thought Of You" on the flip side in September 1955, at Capitol Records' Melrose studios in Hollywood, California with producer Ken Nelson
1956 - Keely Smith and Louis Prima sign with Capitol Records. Check out the April 11, 2006 listing in the archives for more details.
1964 - Beatles occupy a record-breaking fourteen positions on US Hot 100 chart - "Can't Buy Me Love" (1), "Twist and Shout" (2), "She Loves You" (4), "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (7), "Please Please Me" (9), "Do You Want To Know A Secret" (14), "I Saw Her Standing There" (38), "You Can't Do That" (48), "All My Loving" (50), "From Me To You" (52), "Thank You Girl (61), "There's A Place" (74), "Roll Over Beethoven" (78), and "Love Me Do" (81)
1967 - Capitol Records artist Judy Garland divorces husband Mark Herron
1969 - Apple Records, with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States, releases The Beatles single "Get Back", with "Don't Let Me Down" on the flip side
1970 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "Let it Be", with "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1981 - A Taste Of Honey's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki", with "Don't You Lead Me On" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1987 - Poison's Capitol Records single "Talk Dirty To Me", with "Look What The Cat Dragged In" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1998 - Capitol Records artist Merle Travis is named a charter inductee in the National Thumb Pickers Hall of Fame
2006 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' compilation box set "The Beatles: The Capitol Albums Vol. 2"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Future Capitol Records artist Dean Martin and his wife Elizabeth welcome their second daughter, Barbara Gail Martin, into the world
2001 - Sir Harry Secombe (born Harry Donald Secombe), singer, comedian, motion picture ("Down Among The Z-Men", "Oliver!"), television and radio performer (most notably as Neddy Seagoon on "The Goon Show") and Parlophone Records artist (whose "Goon Show" recordings were produced by George Martin), dies from prostate cancer at his home in Shamley Green, Guildford, Surrey, England at age 79

APRIL 10, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1952 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "Wheel of Fortune", with "Angry" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Pop singles charts
1956 - Capitol Records artist Nat "King" Cole is badly beaten up on stage by a white supremacist group, in front of a white audience, in Birmingham, Alabama
1958 - Wanda Jackson records the tracks "(Every Time They Play) Our Song", which will be released by Capitol Records as the flip side of "Mean Mean Man", and "A Date With Jerry", which will be released as a single by Capitol with "You're The One For Me" on the flip side
1961 - Capitol Records releases Rose Maddox and Buck Owens' single "Mental Cruelty" with "Loose Talk" on the flip side
1965 - Freddie and The Dreamers' Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) single "I'm Telling You Now", with "What Have I Done To You?" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1967 - Merle Haggard records the track "Branded Man" which will be the title track for his 1967 Capitol Records album and released by Capitol as a single with "You Don't Have Very Far To Go (1967 version)" on the flip side
1967 - Paul McCartney visits a Beach Boys' recording session, producing the track "Vegetables"
1970 - Paul McCartney announces that The Beatles have broken up
1972 - Freddie Hart's Capitol Records single "My Hang-Up Is You", with "Big Bad Wolf" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1998 - CEMA (the then catlog division of Capitol Records and EMI) releases Freddie Hart's compliation album "Best of Freddie Hart"
2007 - Dakota Staton (aka Aliyah Rabia), singer, dancer, sister of saxophonist Fred Staton, and a Capitol Records and United Artists Records artist, dies in Manhattan, New York at age 74 after a few years of declining health.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1911 - Martin Denny, bandleader, composer, pianist, and Liberty Records artist, is born in New York City, New York
1957 - Future Imperial and Capitol Records artist Ricky Nelson Ricky starts his singing career on his parents' network television show "Ozzie and Harriet" when he sings the track "I'm Walkin'"
1962 - Stu Sutcliffe, artist and original bass player for The Beatles, who had quit the band to return to art school and stay with his girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr, dies from a brain hemmorrhage following a series of violent headaches, in Hamburg, West Germany at age 21, the day before The Beatles were to return to Hamburg from Liverpool to start their third tour in the city

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1956 - Leo Fender is granted the patent for The Stratocaster guitar

APRIL 9, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1920 - Art Van Damme, accordianist, bandleader (Art Van Damme Quintet), Capitol Records artist (the Quintet accompanied The Dinning Sisters on their Capitol Records single "Buttons And Bows"), is born in Norway, Michigan

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942- Papers signed on March 27, 1942 by George G. DeSylva, John Mercer, and Glenn E. Wallichs, before Los Angeles county and California state Notary Public Leta Niccum to acknowledge that they have executed articles of incorporation for Liberty Records, Inc., are stamped "FILED" with the state of California. The three will apply for a Certificate of Amendment on May 27, 1942, again before Ms. Niccum, to change the name of the corporation to Capitol Records, Inc. Those papers will be stamped "FILED" with the state of California on June 1, 1942.
1955 - Les Baxter's Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody", with "Medic" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
1956 - Local Disc Jockey Sherrif Tex Davis takes Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps to record the demo of "Be-Bop-A-Lula" at radio station WCMS' studios in Nashville, Tennessee as well as demos for "Race With The Devil" and "I Sure Miss You". Davis sends the demos to Capitol's A&R man and producer Ken Nelson who will set up a recording session at Owen Bradley's Nashville studio on May 4th, 1956 which will produce the released single version of "Be-Bop-A-Lula".
1964 - Capitol Records is granted an injunction restraining Vee Jay Records from further manufacturing, distributing or advertising recordings by The Beatles
1973 - Apple Records, with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States, releases Paul McCartney And Wings' single "My Love" from their album "Red Rose Speedway" with "The Mess" on the flip side
1983 - The Tubes' Capitol Records single "She's A Beauty", with "When You're Ready To Come" on the flip side, enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1990 - Capitol Records releases Lacy J. Dalton's album "Lacy J."

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1951 - Future Capitol Records artist Judy Garland begins a 4 week appearance at The London Palladium in London, England
2004 - Nick and Mary Yankovic, the parents of former Capitol Records artist "Weird Al" Yankovic, die of carbon monoxide poisoning in their Fallbrook, Calif., home. Their accidental deaths are caused by a fire burning without an open flue.

APRIL 8, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1907 - Wesley Prince, bass player with The King Cole Trio, is born in Pasadena, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Mel Torme's Capitol Records single "Again", with "Blue Moon" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart
1967 - Wanda Jackson records the track "I'd Like To Help You Get Out" for her Capitol Records album "You'll Always Have My Heart" that will be released in Septemer 1967
1968 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "Lady Madonna", with "The Inner Light" on the flip side and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1978 - Wing's Capitol Records single "With A Little Luck", with "Backwards Traveller/Cuff Link (Medley)" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
2003 - Capitol Records releases Lisa Marie Presley's album "To Whom It May Concern"
2003 - Chris Cagle's second Capitol Records album, "Chris Cagle," debuts at #1 on the Billboard's Top Country Albums chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1892 - Mary Pickford, actress and co-founder of United Artists Pictures, is born Gladys Louise Smith in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. United Artists Pictues would release The Beatles' movies "A Hard Day's Night", "Help!", and "The Yellow Submarine". The catalog for United Artists Records, a subsidiary which will also release the soundtrack to "A Hard Day's Night", is now owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1920 - Carmen McRae, singer and Blue Note Records artist is born in Harlem, New York City, New York
1963 - Julian Lennon, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and son of John and Cynthia Powell, is born John Charles Julian Lennon in Liverpool, England. Julian was the inspiration for the songs "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "Good Night", and "Hey Jude"
1967 - The Spencer Davis Group's single "I'm A Man", with "Can't Get Enough" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
2001 - Janet Jackson's Virgin Records America single "All For You", with "Someone To Call My Lover" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

APRIL 7, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1915 - Billie Holiday, singer and Capitol Records artist (the track "Trav'lin' Light", with Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, using the name Lady Day), is born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1920 - Ravi Shankar, composer, sitar player, Capitol ("Concert For Bangladesh") and Angel Records artist, and father of Angel Records artist Anoushka Shankar and Blue Note Records artist Nora Jones, is born Bharat Ratna Ravi Shankar in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
1951 - Janis Ian, singer, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist is born Janis Eddy Fink in New York City, New York
1952 - Bruce Gary, percussionist and drummer with the Capitol Records group The Knack, is born in Burbank, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs", with Harold Mooney conducting the orchestra and "If You Love Me" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart
1958 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Sweet Thing" with "I Only Know That I Love You" on the flip side
1958 - Dean Martin's Capitol Records single "Return To Me", with "Forgetting You" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart
1991 - Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks wins American Country Music awards for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year (for "No Fences,") Single "Friends in Low Places," Song, and Video of the Year "The Dance"
2002 - Chris Cagle's Capitol Records Nashville single "I Breathe In I Breathe Out", with "Country By The Grace of God" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1938 - Freddie Hubbard, trumpet player, sideman, bandleader, and Blue Note Records artist, is born Frederick Dewayne Hubbard in Indianapolis, Indiana. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group
1943 - Mick Abrahams, guitarist, founder of the Chrysalis Records group 'Jethro Tull, and a solo artist, is born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group
1949 - The Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein musical "South Pacific" opens at the Majestic Theatre in New York City. Capitol Records will later release an album of cover versions of the hit songs from the musical featuring Gordon MacRae and Jo Stafford
1958 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Believe What You Say", with "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart. Imperial's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group
1959 - The Fleetwoods' Dolphin Records (later renamed Dolton Records) single "Come Softly To Me", with "I Care So Much" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Pop singles chart. Dolton Records was distributed and later bought by Liberty Records. Liberty Records catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1968 - Bobby Goldsboro's United Artists Records single "Honey", with "Danny" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1975 - Victoria Adams (aka Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice), with the Virgin Records group Spice Girls, wife of European football player David Beckham, is born Victoria Caroline Adams in Hetfordshire, England
1990 - "Hold On", Wilson Phillips' SBK single "Hold On", distributed by Capitol Records with "Over And Over" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Single chart

APRIL 6, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1927 - Gerry Mulligan, arranger, songwriter, pianist, clarinet and baritone saxophone player, bandleader, Capitol (solo and as part of Miles Davis' "Birth Of The Cool" band), Pacific Jazz, and Blue Note Records artist, is born Gerald Joseph Mulligan in New York City, New York
1924 - Dorothy Donegan, pianist, leader of The Dorothy Donegan Trio, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Chicago, Illinois
1937 - Merle Haggard, singer, songwriter, guitarist, 1977 inductee into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall Of Fame, 1994 inductee into the The Country Music Hall Of Fame, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Kern General Hospital, in Bakersfield, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 – At Capitol Records' first recording session Martha Tilton records the tracks "Moon Dreams" (co-written by Johnny Mercer and J. C. "Chummy" MacGregor") with The Mellowaires and "The Angels Cried" (written by Mercer alone) also with The Mellowaires and a tenor saxophone solo by Hubert "Bumps" Meyers. Both tracks were produced by Johnny Mercer. "The Angels Cried" would be released first (Capitol 105) as the flip side of "I'll Remember April". "Moon Dreams" would be released later (Capitol 138) with "Comin' Through The Rye" on the flip side. If anyone knows where these tracks were recorded, please leave a reply.
1951 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young", with "That's My Girl" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
1956 - The grand opening of The Capitol Tower at 1750 Vine Street, Hollywood, California takes place. Check out the April 6, 2006 posting in the April archives to find all the information and photos that I posted for the 50th anniversary of The Tower's opening.
1966 - Buck Owens records the track "Open Up Your Heart" which will be released by Capitol Records
1968 - Syd Barrett officially leaves Tower Records' (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) band Pink Floyd
1968 - The Beatles open their Apple Corporation office at 95 Wigmore Street, London, England
1999 - Red Norvo, xylophonist, bandleader, Capitol Records session player and artist, dies at the age of 91

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Bob Marley, singer, songwriter, guitarist, husband of Rita Marley (member of member of I3), and literaly the father of EMI America and Virgin Records group Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, is born Robert Nesta Marley in Rhoden Hall, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica
1973 - Future Capitol Records band Queen sign their first recording contract
1981 - Bob Hite (aka "The Bear"), guitarist, harmonica player, and founding member of the Liberty Records group Canned Heat, dies of a heart attack brought on by a combination of drug use and extreme weight at age 38. The attack happened in a van that was taking him home from a gig at The Palimino. Though his bandmates tried to revive him, they had to call paramedics when they got to Hite's home in Mar Vista, California, where he was later pronounced dead. If anyone knows for sure where Bob is buried, please leave a comment.

APRIL 5, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Betty Hutton's Capitol Records single "Stuff Like That There" enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
1964 - General Douglas MacArthur, General of the US Army in the Pacific, whosefarewell speeches were released by Capitol Records, dies at age 84
1970 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "Let It Be", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1989 - Dave Edmunds signs with Capitol Records
2001 - OTEP has a party at the Viper Room after signing with Capitol Records

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS
1911 - Martin Denny, composer, arranger, pianist, and Liberty Records artist is born in New York City, New York
1934 - Stan Turrentine, tenor saxophonist and Blue Note Records artist is born Stanley William Turrentine in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

APRIL 4, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1885 - Arthur Murray, dancer, dance instructor, businessman and founder of the Arthur Murray Dance Studios franchise, television dance show host with his wife Kathryn Murray, inspiration for the song "Arthur Murray Taught Me To Dance In A Hurry" written by Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer and Victor Schertzinger, for whom the "Arthur Murray" series of dance albums were created by Capitol Records, is born Moses Teichman in New York, New York
1914 - Frances Langford, singer, radio performer, motion picture actress, part of Bob Hope's U.S.O. touring company, and Capitol Records artist (album "Sings Old Songs For Old Friends") is born Frances Newbern in Lakeland, Florida

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Capitol Records releases Faron Young' single "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" with "Forgive Me Dear" on the flip side
1964 - The Beatles' have 12 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart with tracks at #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 44, 49, 69, 79, 84 and 88. The band also becomes the only act to date in Billboard history to have three consecutive # 1 songs ("Can't Buy Me Love" takes over the # 1 spot from "She Loves You", which succeeded "I Want to Hold Your Hand"). The Beatle's Capitol Records album "Meet The Beatles" is also #1 on Billboard's album chart
1964 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Together Again", the flip side of "My Heart Skips A Beat", is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1965 - Freddie and The Dreamers' Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) single "I'm Telling You Now", with "What Have I Done To You" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1971 - Sonny James' Captiol Records single "Empty Arms", with "Everything Begins And Ends With You" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1952 - Gary Moore, guitarist, singer and Virgin Records America artist, is born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
1988 - After a break from recording of seven years, Buck Owens duets with Dwight Yoakam to record the track "Streets Of Bakersfield" which will be released by Reprise Records with Yoakum's "One More Name". Buck Owens will then begin recording again for Capitol Records later the same year.

APRIL 3, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1936 - Jimmy McGriff, organist and Sue, Veep, Solid State, Blue Note and Capitol Records artist, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1942- Wayne Newton, singer, televison and motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist, is born Carson Wayne Newton in Roanoke, Virginia
1945 - Richard Manuel, singer, composer, keyboard player for the band The Hawks and the Capitol Records group The Band, is born in Stratford, Ontario
1949 - Richard Thompson, singer, songwriter, guitarist, founding member of the group Fairport Convention, part of a duo with then wife Linda Thompson, and Capitol Records solo artist, is born in London, England
1951 - Mel Schacher, bassist with the Capitol Records band Grand Funk Railroad, is born in Owosso, Michigan

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Capitol Records team Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis debut their NBC Radio program which will run until 1952. Numerous references to Capitol Records appear on the show and one episode has them taking Burl Ives into Capitol Records' studios for a recording session
1969 - Billy Preston signs with Apple Records and his tracks will be released by Capitol Records in the United States
1972 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens and The Buckaroos' single "Made In Japan", with "Black Texas Dirt" on the flip side, which will eventually peak at #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1941 - Jan Berry, singer, songwriter, and member of the Liberty Records duo Jan and Dean, is born William Jan Berry in Los Angeles, California
1946 - Dee Murray, bass player for the United Artists Records band The Spencer Davis Group is born in Gillingham, Kent, England
1961 - Ernie K-Doe's Minit Records single "Mother-In-Law", with "Wanted, $10,000 Reward" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts. Some copies of the single have the A side mastered at 33rpm by mistake. Minit's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group.
1976 - United Artists Records releases Crystal Gayle's single "I'll Get Over You", with "High Time" on the flip side, which will eventually peak at #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1983 - Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton's Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "We've Got Tonight" , with Rogers' "You Are So Beautiful" on the flip side, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1990 - Sarah Vaughn, singer and Roulette Records artist, dies of lung cancer in California a week after her 66th birhday

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1985 - The famed Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood on Vine Street closed on this day, after 57 years. Many early Capitol Records celebrations and business meetings happened in its booths. Also it was the site of the founding of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. All of the furnishings were kept, including famous Booth #5 -- where Clark Gable proposed to Carole Lombard, until the building was condemned and torn down after the January 1994 Northridge, California earthquake.

APRIL 2, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1921 - Boomie Richman, tenor saxophone and flute player, and member of Capitol Records artist Benny Goodman's orchesta (1953-1954), is born Abraham Samuel Richman in Brockton, Massachusetts
1948 - Kerry Minnear, keyboard (piano, Hammond organ, mellotron, mini-moog, the Regal) player, lead and backing vocalist, cello player, and member of the Capitol Records group Gentle Giant, is born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. There are also references to him being born on January 2, 1948. If anyone knows for sure which date is correct, please leave a comment.
1962- Billy Dean, singer, guitarist, songwriter, and EMI America and Capitol Records Nashville artist is born William Harold Dean, Jr. in Quincy, Florida

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1953 - Frank Sinatra has his first recording session for Capitol Records at the label's studios on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, although Hollywood's honorary mayor Johnny Grant is sure that Frank Sr. kept recording at Columbia's studios on Sunset Blvd. opposite what is now the Spaghetti Factory. If anyone knows for sure, please leave a comment. Sinatra was joined by Axel Stordahl who arranged the tracks with Heine Bear and also conducted the studio orchestra (Heine Beau, Leonard Hartman, Arthur "Skeets" Herfert, and Theodore Nash on reeds; Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy on trumpet; Vincent De Rosa on french horn; George Van Eps on guitar; Philip Stephens on bass; Bill Miller on piano; Ann Stockton on harp; Ray Hagan on drums; Harry Bluestone, Murray Kellner, Alex Murray, Paul Nero, Irving Prager, and Mischa Russell on violn; Paul Robyn and Dave Sterkin on viola; and Cy Bernard on cello) to record the tracks "Lean Baby", "I'm Walking Behind You", "Day In - Day Out " and "Don't Make A Beggar Of Me".
1953 - Capitol Records artist Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Bob Burgess, Conte Candoli, Buddy Childers, Vinnie Dean, Don Dennis, Bill Holman, Richie Kamuca, Lee Konitz, Hank Levey, Stan Levey, Keith Moon, George Roberts, Glen Roberts, Frank Rosolino, Ernie Royal, Sal Salvador, Tom Shepard, Don Smith) perform live at Birdland where the track "Swinghouse" is recorded and later released on the album "23 Degrees North, 82 Degrees West"
1957 - Peggy Lee, with Frank Sinatra producing and conducting the orchestra (Buddy Collette and Harry Klee on alto saxophone; Stanley "Champ" Webb and James Williamson on tenor saxophone; Tommy Pederson on trombone; James Decker and Sinclair Lott on french horn; Juan Tizol on valve trombone; George Roberts on bass trombone; Nick Bonney on guitar; Max Bennett on stand up bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stella Castellucci on harp; Lou Singer on drums; Victor Arno, Victor Bay, Alex Beller, Harold Dicterow, David Frisina, Henry Hill, Alex Murray, Erno Neufeld, Eudice Shapiro, and Marshall Sosson on violn; Alvin Dinkin, Maxine Johnson, and Barbara Simons on viola; and Ennio Bologinni, Victor Gottlieb, Edgar Lustgarten, and Kurt Reher on cello), records the tracks "He's My Guy", "Something Wonderful", "Please Be Kind", and "The Man I Love" for her Capitol Records album "The Man I Love" using arrangements by Nelson Riddle at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1958 - The motion picture "Young Lions", starring Capitol Records artist Dean Martin, as well as Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, opens and makes Martin a dramatic movie star on his own right without Jerry Lewis
1963 - "Best Foot Forward", an off Broadway show starring Capitol Records artist Liza Minelli, opens. Her mother, Judy Garland, will attend the show the next night so as not to draw attention away from Liza on opening night.
1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Sloop John B", with "You're So Good To Me" enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will stay for 11 weeks and peak at #3 on May 7, 1966
1967 - The Beatles finish recording tracks at EMI's Abbey Road Studios for their Capitol Records album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
1973 - Apple Records releases The Beatles compilation albums "The Beatles '62-66" (aka The Red Album) and "The Beatles '67-70" (aka The Blue Album) which will be distributed by Capitol Records in the United States
1996 - Capitol Records releases Rosanne Cash's album "10 Song Demo"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1872 - Samuel Morse, inventor of Morse code and grandfather of Leila Morse (who first lit the beacon that spells out "H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D" on the top of The Capitol Tower), dies at age age 80 at his home at 5 West 22nd Street, New York, New York and is later buried in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York
1920 - Jack Webb, radio, motion picture (Capitol released the soundtrack to his movie "Pete Kelly's Blues") and television actor, director, producer, singer, and one-time husband of Liberty Records artist Julie London, is born John Randolph Webb in Los Angeles, California
1941 - Dr. Demento, radio disk jockey, syndicated radio show host, pop/novelty tune music historian, who gave Capitol Records artist Weird Al Yankovic his first on air appearance, is born Barrett Hansen in Minneapolis, Minnesota
1988 - Johnny Hates Jazz's Virgin Records America single "Shattered Dreams", with "My Secret Garden" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. I did the final design production on the U.S. packaging for the single, it's promotional material, and trade advertising.
1989 - Roxette's EMI America single "The Look", with "Silver Blue" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1902 - The Electric Theatre, the first movie theater in Los Angeles, opens and charges a dime to see an hour’s worth of movies, including the films "The Capture of the Biddle Brothers" and "New York in a Blizzard"
1992 - Milton Rackmil, co-founder of Decca Records, dies in Manhattan, New York at age 86