SEPTEMBER 30, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1922 - Oscar Pettiford, double bass and cello player, composer, member of Capitol Records group Woody Herman and His Orchestra, Thad Jones' Blue Note Records group, and Jimmy Guiffre's Atlantic Records group, as well as a player on recordings with Charlie Barnet, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and Stan Getz, and "discoverer" of Capitol Records artist Cannonball Adderley, is born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma
1940 - Dewey Martin, singer, drummer, with the Tower Records band Sir Raliegh and The Coupons, on a demo for Capitol for the band The Dillards, drummer with the band The Herd which will become Buffalo Springfield, is born Walter Milton Dewayne Midkiff in Chesterville, Ontario, Cananda
1953- Deborah Allen, singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and Capitol Records artist, is born Deborah Lynn Thurmond in Memphis, Tennessee

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger and conductor Billy May, records the tracks "Just In Time", "The Song Is You", and "It All Depends On You" which will be remain unreleased until it is included as a bonus track in 1987 on the CD version of his Capitol Records album "Come Dance With Me!"
1968 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "I've Got You On My Mind Again" with "That's All Right With Me" on the flip side
1977 - Mary Ford (born Iris Colleen Hatfield), singer, motion picture actress, guitarist, television variety show co-host ("The Les Paul and Mary Ford at Home Show"), one-time wife of Capitol Records artist Les Paul, and half of the Capitol Records duo Les Paul and Mary Ford, dies at age 53 in Arcadia, California of cancer after spending 54 days in a diabetic coma and is later buried at Forest Lawn-Covina Hills in Covina, California
1990 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "Friends In Low Places", on the flip side of "Dance", is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
2003 - Capitol Records releases Bonnie Raitt's compilation album "The Best of Bonnie Raitt"
2004 - Capitol Records releases The Smashing Pumpkins' album "I Might Be Wrong-Live Recordings"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955- James Dean, stage, television and motion picture actor, is killed in head-on collision while driving his Porsche Syder at 75 miles an hour at the intersection of routes 46 and 41, near Cholame, California. Capitol Records will later release a soundtrack album for the documentary film "The James Dean Story.
1987 - Virgin Records artist Roy Orbison records the television special "Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night" for Cinemax at The Coconut Grove in The Ambassador Hotel. I was working at Virgin at the time and was in the audience in the back of the room. Also in the audience were singer Billy Idol (who was in total awe of Roy) and actor Patrick Swayze (who, by the end of the show was feeling no pain). The Ambassador was torn down in 2006 to make room for a new school. After the show I met Roy and he was nice enough to sign a CD I brought of his early recordings. The next morning Los Angeles was hit by the biggest earthquake (5.6 on the Richter scale) and after shocks since the '70s. I was at home when the first one hit and at Virgin's offices for a large aftershock that had the staircases swaying. I later designed the packaging for Virgin's promotional version of the video. Virgin Records is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group. The Ambassador Hotel was demolished by its new owner, The Los Angeles Unified School District, in 2006 to make way for a new school. The Coconut Grove building still is standing and was promised to be turned into the new school's auditorium after the floor had been tilted for seating, but a recent examination has determined that the concrete in 66 percent of the structure doesn't meet current standards for surviving a large earthquake and, if the LAUSD board gets its way, will be demolished to make way for a new auditorium. An article in the Los Angeles Times said that one bright note was that the original sign for the Coconut Grove was found when the glass entryway that was a later addition to the building was demolished.
1988 - John Lennon's star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame is unveiled with Yoko Ono in attendance
1990 - Maxi Priest's Charisma Records (a subsidiary of Virgin Records, distributed at the time in the United State by Atlantic Records) single "Close To You", with "I Know Love" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. The single was released by 10 Records (another Virgin Records subsidiary) in the United Kingdom. 10 Records' and Charisma Records' catalogs are currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1991 - Former Capitol Records artist, Broadway and motion picture actress Liza Minnelli receives a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame
1993 - George Harrison guests on Fox-TV's "The Simpsons"

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1452 - Johann Guttenberg publishes a German language version of The Bible, the first book in Europe to be printed using moveable type
1935 - George and Ira Gershwin's opera "Porgy And Bess" premieres at The Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusettes
1950 - Billboard Magazine renames its Hillbilly singles chart to become the "Country & Western" chart
1960 - At the end of the last episode of the NBC-TV series "The Howdy Doody Show" the normally silent character Clarabell The Clown says "Good-bye" to the audience.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1922 - Louise Dinning, singer and part of the Capitol Records group The Dinning Sisters (with her sisters Ginger and Jean), is born in Grant County, Oklahoma. Her brother, Mark Dinning, had his own hit with the single "Teen Angel" which was written by his sister Jean.
1938 - Tommy Boyce, music producer, songwriter (most notably with partner Bobby Hart) and member of the Capitol Records band Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart is born Sidney Thomas Boyce in Charlottesville, Virginia
1948 - Mark Farner, guitarist and lead vocalist for the Capitol Records band Grand Funk Railroad is born in Flint, Michigan
1968 - Brad Smith, bass and flute player for the Capitol Records band Blind Melon is born in West Point, Mississippi

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Capitol Records artist Jimmy Wakely debuts on The Grand Ole Opry
1948 - The Mel Powell Septet (Clyde Hurley on trumpet, Lou McGarity on trombone, Gus Bivona on clarinet, Don Lodice on tenor saxophone, Mel Powell on piano, Tiny Berman on bass, and Frank Carlson on drums) record the track "Muskrat Ramble" in Los Angles, California for Capitol Records as part of the soundtrack album for the Samuel Goldwyn film "A Song Is Born" which was sold to benefit the Damon Runyon Memorial Cancer Fund
1956 - Capitol Records artist Wanda Jackson records the track "Baby Loves Him" at The Capitol Tower Studios, Hollywood, California
1969 -Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "Tall Dark Stranger"
1973 - Grand Funk's Capitol Records single "We're An American Band", with "Creepin'" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1979 - The Knack's Capitol Records single "My Sharona", with "Let Me Out" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
2003 - Wesley Tuttle, singer, yodeler (yodeled in Disney's "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs"), actor, guitarist and the second country artist signed to Capitol Records (1944-1957), dies in Sylmar, California of heart failure at age 85
2006 - The Los Angeles Times reports that EMI is selling The Capitol Tower and adjoining buildings and property to an East Coast Developer for $50 million dollars (cheap!) and that Capitol Records and The Capitol Tower Studios will become tenants of the building "for many years". The article also stated that the south east parking lot will probably be developed into a multi purpose building with housing, offices and shops. So far no renderings of the new building or any idea on how much it will block the view of The Tower when driving by on Hollywood Boulevard or north on Vine Street.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1956 - Future Capitol Records artist Rose Maddox joins The Grand Ole Opry
1963 - "The Judy Garland Show" premieres on CBS-TV with former Capitol Records artist Mel Torme as musical advisor and arranger for the series. Capitol would eventually be one of the many companies to release live tracks from the show on various compilation albums.
1984 - Teddy Reig, a&r man and record producer for Roulette Records artists Count Basie, Jack Teagarden, Randy Weston, Thad Jones and Sara Vaughn, dies in Teaneck, New Jersey at age 65. Roulette's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1987 - Dan Seal's EMI America single "Three Time Loser", with "On The Front Line" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1987 - EMI America Records releases The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' album "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan".
1992 - EMI America Records releases The Red Hot Chilli Pepper's compliation album and video "What Hits!?".

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1907 - Gene Autry, actor, singer, and baseball team owner, is born Orvon Gene Autry in Tioga, Texas
1935 - Jerry Lee Lewis, pianist, singer and Sun Records recording artist, is born in Ferriday, Louisiana
1970 - Edward Everett Horton, singer, dancer, Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion picture actor, and cartoon voice artist, dies of cancer in Encino, California at age 84

SEPTEMBER 28, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1930 - Tommy Collins, songwriter, singer, Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee, and a Capitol Records artist (1953-1957 and 1963-1964) is born Leonard Raymond Sipes at a farm just outside of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Rockabilly Hall Of Fame website has a great biography page on Tommy.
1952 - Andy Ward, drummer with the Capitol Records group Marillion (1983), is born in London, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1959 - Stan Kenton, his orchestra, June Christy, and The Four Freshmen begin a five-week road tour with a concert at Murray State College in Kentucky. Their October 10 concert at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, performed in front of more than twelve thousand people in a pouring rainstorm, will be recorded and released as the Capitol Records album "Road Show".
1959 - The Kingston Trio records John Stewart's "Green Grasses" which will be initially released as the flip side of their Capitol Records single "Coo Coo-U"
1962 - Capitol Records artist Judy Garland files for divorce from her husband and manager Sid Luft, father of her daughter Lorna and son Joseph
1963 - The Beach Boys' "Little Deuce Coupe", the flip side of their Capitol Records' single "Surfer Girl", peaks at #15 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1967 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "It's The Little Things", with "Don't Cut Timber On A Windy Day" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1968 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "Hey Jude", with "Revolution" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will stay for nine weeks
1974 - Andy Kim's Capitol Records single "Rock Me Gently", with "Rock Me Gently Part II" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1988 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Hot Dog", with "Second Fiddle" on the flip side
1991 - Garth Brooks' Capitol Nashville album "Ropin' The Wind" becomes the first album to ever enter both of Billboard's Top 200 Albums and Top Country Albums charts at #1 at the same time
1991 - Miles Davis, trumpet player and Capitol Records (1949-1950)and Blue Note Records (1952-1954) artist, dies after a stroke in Santa Monica, California at age 65
1999 - Capitol Records releases Garth Brooks' album "Garth Brooks In... The Life of Chris Gaines"
2004 - Capitol Records releases Duran Duran's album "Astronaut" on CD and a limited double vinyl version. Capitol Records also releases Everclear's compilation album "Ten Years Gone - The Best Of Everclear 1994-2004", and the compilation CD "Ultimate Christmas Cocktails" as part of its Ultra-Lounge series

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1902 - Ed Sullivan, newspaper sportswriter and theater columnist, gossip columnist on radio and newsreels, and radio and television variety show host (CBS' "Toast Of The Town" which will become "The Ed Sullivan Show" and showcases many Capitol Records artists, and played an important part in kicking of Beatlemania in the U.S.), is born Edward Vincent Sullivan in Manhattan, New York
1963 - Murray The K becomes the first disc jockey in the United States to spin a track by The Beatles when he plays their Swan Records single "She Loves You", which has "I'll Get You" on the flip side, on his daily record review contest on radio station WINS in New York City, New York. The single came in third out of the five played.
2004 - Nonesuch Records releases a newly recorded version of Brian Wilson's album "Smile", which had been started 38 years earlier as a Beach Boys' album for Capitol Records and shelved a year after recording started.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1909 - Al Capp, cartoonist who created the strp "Li'l Abner" (which was later adapted into a musical with lyrics by Capitol Records' co-founder Johnny Mercer) and also invented the holiday Sadie Hawkins Day, is born Alfred Gerald Caplin in New Haven, Connecticut
1964 - Nacio Herb Brown (born Ignacio Herb Brown), Broadway and Hollywood composer ("Singin' In The Rain", "Lucky Star", "Broadway Melody", etc. with lyricist Alan Freed) and 1970 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, dies in San Francisco, California at age 68

SEPTEMBER 27, 2007

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
1933 - Glenn and Dorothy Wallichs are married. Glenn will go on to found Hollywood's first music superstore – Wallichs' Music City ("Sunset and Vine") – and co-found Capitol Records, where he will also serve as vice-president, president and chairman of the board. After Glenn's death in 1971 Dorothy, who is still living, will go on to quietly do charitable works including contributing funds to the University of Redlands in California to build, and then refurbish, The Glenn Wallichs Theatre.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1927 - Bud Powell, composer, pianist, member of the Capitol Records band Cootie Williams and His Orchestra and a solo Blue Note Records artist, is born Earl Powell in New York City, New York

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - Ground breaking occurs for the world's first round office building – The Capitol Tower – when Capitol Records' president Glenn Wallichs uses a bulldozer, instead of a traditional shovel, to start construction. The ceremony is emceed by Don Wilson with many Capitol Records artists and executives attending as well as local politicians. Later that day, Capitol Records president Glenn Wallichs is roasted by local Los Angeles radio disc jockeys at a lunch hosted by The Los Angeles Ad Club, with emcee Dean Martin. Both events are recorded and pressed as the souvenir two record 10" 33RPM album called "Glenn Wallichs' Day" which is given to employees and others.
1964 - Capitol Records group The Beach Boys make their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"
1965 - Stan Kenton begins three straight days of sessions, recording tracks for his Capitol Records album "Stan Kenton Conducts The Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra", at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1967 - Gordon Waller, of Capitol Records group Peter and Gordon, records the track "So Long Dad" by Randy Newmann, but the track is never released
1973 - Tennessee Ernie Ford records the tracks "Bits And Pieces Of Life", which will be released as the flip side of Ford's Capitol Records single "Come On Down" on June 24, 1974, and "Smokey Taverns, Bar Room Girls", which will have the track "The Devil Ain't A Lonely Woman's Friend" as its flip side when it's released as a single on October 13, 1975
1973 - Grand Funk's Capitol Records single "We're An American Band", a version of which Capitol has pressed on gold-colored vinyl, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1979 - Jimmy McCulloch, lead guitarist with the Capitol Records band Wings as well as a member of the bands Thunderclap Newman and Stone The Crows, dies in London, England at age 26 of a heart failure due to overuse of heroin, morphine, alcohol and marijuana
1995 - Rosemary Clooney begins four straight days of sessions, recording tracks for her album "Dedicated To Nelson", at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
2005 - Capitol Records releases: Blind Melon's compilation album "Tones Of Home: The Best Of Blind Melon" on CD and their concert film "Live At The Metro" on DVD; The Band's "A Musical History", a box set covering The Band's recording career from 1963 to 1976, with 37 previously unreleased tracks; and the Christmas compilation "Christmas Cocktails Part Three" as part of its Ultra-Lounge series

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - NBC-TV broadcasts the nationwide debut of "Tonight!" (later renamed "The Tonight Show"), hosted by future Capitol Records artist Steve Allen. It is also Allen's new wife's (they married on July 31, 1954), motion picture and television actress Jayne Meadows, birthday. She was born Jayne Meadows Cotter in Wuchang, China in 1920.
1961 - Liberty Records releases Johnny Burnette's single "God, Country and My Baby" with "Honestly I Do" on the flip side. Capitol Records currently owns Liberty's catalog
1963 - Parlophone Records, a subsidiary of EMI, releases Cillia Black's first single, "Love of the Loved", in the United Kingdom. Capitol Records will later distribute Black's releases in the United States.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1885 - Joseph McCarthy, lyricist (best known for the Broadway musicals "Irene", "Kid Boots", and "Rio Rita" as well as the songs "You Made Me Love You", "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", "In My Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown", and "Rio Rita"), is born in Somerville, Massachusettes
1898 - Vincent Youmans, musician, composer ("Hit The Deck", "Great Day!", "No, No Nanette" {w/Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II}, "I Know That You Know (w/Harbach}, "More Than You Know", "Rise ’n’ Shine", "Flying Down To Rio", "The Carioca" and many more), and Songwriters’ Hall of Fame inductee, is born in New York City, New York
1936 - Don Cornelius, television show creator (best known for the syndicated show "Soul Train" which he hosted from 1971-1994 and still produces), is born in Chicago, Illinois
1942 - Glenn Miller gives his final civilian performance before entering the U.S. Army when he and his orchestra perform at the Central Theater in Passaic County, New Jersey
1947 - Meatloaf, actor and singer, is born Marvin Lee Aday in Dallas, Texas

SEPTMEBER 26, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1967 - Shannon Hoon, lead singer and harmonica, kazoo and acoustic guitar player with the Capitol Records band Blind Melon, is born Richard Shannon Hoon in Lafayette, Indiana

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Capitol Records releases Judy Garland's debut album for the label, "Miss Show Business"
1961 - Buck Owens records the track "You're For Me" which Capitol Records will release as a single on November 5, 1962 with "House Down The Block" on the flip side
1962 - The Kingston Trio record the track "The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)" for their Capitol Records album "New Frontier". Ten years later Roberta Flack would cover the song.
1965 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Only You (Can Break My Heart)", with "Gonna Have Love" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1966 - Dobie Gray, singer and songwriter, signs with Capitol Records
1969 - The Beatles' last recorded studio album "Abbey Road" is released by Apple Records and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States
1970 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "It's Only Make Believe", with "Pave You Way Into Tomorrow" on the flip side, enters the U.S. Country singles charts where it will peak at #3
1974 - Apple Records releases John Lennon's album "Walls And Bridges" with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States
1993 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "Ain't Goin' Down (Till The Sun Comes Up)" with "Kickin' And Screamin'" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1995 - Capitol Records releases Jill Sobule's track "Supermodel", from the original motion picture soundtrack album for the film "Clueless" (also released by the label), as a 7" jukebox 45rpm single with The Smoking Pope's track "Need You Around" (also on the soundtrack album) as the flip side
1995 - Capitol Records Nashville releases John Berry's album "O Holy Night"
1995 - Capitol Records releases The Kingston Trio's compilation CD set "The Capitol Years"
1997 - A memorial service is held for one time Capitol Records artist Jimmy Witherspoon at the True Vine Baptist Church1437 in Inglewood, California
2000 - Capitol Records releases the Frank Sinatra box set, "Frank Sinatra - Concepts", which contains all 16 of Sinatra's Capitol Concepts albums digitally remastered and replaces the previous, limited-run, wooden "Concepts" box
2003 - Robert Palmer (born Robert Allen Palmer), lead singer of the Capitol Records group Power Station, dies in Paris, France of a heart attack at the age of 54. He is later interred at the cemetery in city where he resided at the time, Lugano, Switzerland.
2004 - Keith Urban's Capitol Records Nashville single "Days Go By" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts, becoming his fifth #1
2006 - Sean Lennon appears on "The Late Show with David Letterman" to promote his new album "Friendly Fire" whose release has been delayed to October 3 from it's original September 26 date
2006 - Capitol Records releases: Saosin's self-titled album as a standard CD and as a CD and DVD set that includes videos of songs on the album; the soundtrack to the motion picture "The U.S. VS John Lennon"; Peggy Lee's compilation album "Christmas With Peggy Lee"; and re-releases George Harrison's "Living In A Material World" as a digitally remasterd CD and as a CD and DVD set that includes a live performance of "Give Me Love" as well as a rare photos that play to other songs
2006 - Capitol Jazz re-releases, as part of its "The Great Jazz Vocal Collection", Dinah Shore and Andre Previn's Capitol Records album "Dinah Sings Previn Plays", June Christy's Capitol Records album "The Intimate Miss Christy", Sue Raney's Capitol Records album "All By Myself", Irene Kral and Herb Pomeroy's United Artists album "The Band And I", and Julie London's Liberty Records album "Around Midnight". Capitol Jazz is a Blue Note label, which is currently a subsidiary of Capitol Records. The Liberty and United Artists catalogs are currently owned by Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1928 - Julie London, singer, motion picture and television actress, wife first to actor and television producer Jack Webb and then to actor, record producer, composer and pianist Bobby Troupe, and Liberty Records artist, is born Julie Peck in Santa Rosa, California
1956 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Blueberry Hill" enters Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart where it will eventually reach # 4. Imperial's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1969 - Drummer Elvin Jones, with Joe Farrell on tenor saxophone, flute and english horn, George Coleman on tenor saxophone, Pepper Adams on baritone saxophone, Wilbur Little on bass, and Candido Camero on congas, records the tracks "Mr. Jones", "Yes" without Camero, "Agappe Love", "Whew" without Adams and Camero, and "Agenda", at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with producer Francis Wolff and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder. The tracks would appear on Jones' Blue Note Records albums "Mr. Jones" and "Polycurrents". Blue Notes catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records
1972 - Ras Kass, singer, rapper and Priority Records artist, is born in Los Angeles, California. Priority Records is currently owned by Capitol Records.
2006 - EMI Classics releases Paul McCartney's fourth classical album "Ecce Cor Meum"

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1887 - Emile Berliner, a German immigrant living in Washington, D.C., patents a disk recording device that makes mass production of phonograph records feasible. He will later license the patent in the U.K. to The Gramophone Corporation which would become EMI. They would in turn license the use of their logo "His Master's Voice" to Berliner to use in the United States. Berliner's company would later become RCA.
1898 - George Gershwin, composer, is born Jacob Gershowitz in Brooklyn, New York
1962 - "The Beverly Hillbillies" debuts on CBS-TV and will air 274 episodes over 9 seasons. It is also series co-star (Ellie Mae Clampett) Donna Douglas' 29th birthday. Douglas has also had a role on an episode of "The Twilight Zone" and co-stars with Elvis Presely in the motion picture "Frankie And Johnny".
1964 - "Gilligan's Island" debutes on CBS-TV and will air 98 episodes over 3 seasons

SEPTEMBER 25, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1966 - Capitol Records artist Donna Loren appears on the NBC-TV series "The Monkees" in the episode "Everywhere A Shiek, Shiek"
1967 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "It Takes People Like You" with "You Left Her Lonely Too Long" on the flip side
1974 - Andy Kim's Capitol Records single "Rock Me Gently", with "Rock Me Gently Part II" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1976 - Capitol Records releases Mel McDaniel's second single "I Thank God She Isn't Mine" with "I'll Keep On Lovin' You" on the flip side
1976 - Captiol Records group Wings raises $50,000 when it plays a benefit concert for the restoration of water-damaged art treasures in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy
1982 - The Steve Miller Band's Capitol Records single "Abracadabra" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1993 - Apple and Capitol Records artist George Harrison makes guest appearances on "The Simpsons" along with David Crosby
2002 - Capitol Records releases a 24 bit digitally remastered CD of Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band's "Stanger In Town" album
2002 - Masanori Sasaji & L. A. Allstars start the first of two straight days of recording sessions for their album "Afro Blue" in front of a live audience, using the combined space of Studio A and B at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California by opening the retractable walls
2005 - Keith Urban's Capitol Records Nashville album "Golden Road" is certified triple platinum by the R.I.A.A.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1957 - Roulette release Frankie Lymon's first solo single, "My Girl". Roulette's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1963 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano, Bobby Haynes on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "Mr. Sandman", "Some Samba", and with Joe Sample on electric piano, "Stix March" for their Pacific Jazz album "Heat Wave" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer and recording engineer Richard Bock on to four track masters. Pacific Jazz's library is currently owned by Capitol Records and re-issued by Blue Note Records.
1965 - ABC-TV debuts the King Features Syndicate cartoon series "The Beatles"
1969 - With its final acquisition of Northern Songs and Lenmac Enterprises Ltd., which is started on May 5, 1969, Associated Television (ATV) gains control of almost all of the Lennon-McCartney song catalog
1977 - Kenny Rogers' United Artists single "Daytime Friends", with "We Don't Make Love Anymore" 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.
1990 - Dave Grohl, former drummer of the Washington, D.C. band Scream and future guitarist of the Capitol Records band Foo Fighters, joins the band Nirvana
1991 - Saffron Sahara, daughter of Simon LeBon (best known as the lead singer of the Capitol Records group Duran Duran) and his wife Yasmin Parvenah, is born
2001 - Virgin Records releases two singles, "Dig In," by Lenny Kravitz and "God Gave Me Everything" by Mick Jagger are released to digital retailers via Liquid Audio. They will be the first downloadable singles that The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) will agree to accept for Grammy consideration.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1639 - The first printing press in the English colonies in North America begins operation at The Cambridge Press in New England
1690 - "Publick Occurrences", the first newspaper published in America, is printed by Richard Pierce and edited by Benjamin Harris in Boston in the English colony of Massachusettes. Only one issue will be published before the English authorities suppress it.
1951 - Mark Hamill, television, motion picture and stage actor, cartoon voice actor, and silver age comic book collector, is born Mark Richard Hamill in Oakland, California

SEPTEMBER 24, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1923 - Fats Navarro, trumpet player, bandleader, and Capitol (as a member of Illinois Jacquet and His Orchestra and The Benny Goodman Sextet) and Blue Note Records (solo and part of The Tadd Dameron Sextet) artist, is born Theodore Navarro in Key West, Florida. Dr. Stuart A. Varden has a wondeful site on the life of Fats with a pretty detailed sessionography.
1924 - Sheila MacRae, singer, motion picture and television actress (best known as the third Alice Kramden on "The Honeymooners" segment of "The Jackie Gleason Show", wife of Capitol Records artist Gordon MacRae, and a Capitol Records artist as part of a duo with her husband, is born Sheila Margaret Stephens in London, England. Gordon and Sheila were at the opening night festivities for The Capitol Tower.
1936 - Jim Henson, puppeteer, television and motion picture producer, and creator of The Muppets (an adaptation of their move "Muppets Treasure Island" was released by Capitol Records), is born James Maury Henson in Greenville, Mississippi
1941 - Linda McCartney, photographer, singer, keyboard player, first wife of Paul McCartney, and member of the Capitol Records group Wings and posthumously a Capitol Records solo artist, is born Linda Louise Eastman in Scarsdale, New York

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1961 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Under The Influence Of Love" with "Bad Bad Dream" on the flip side. Other references list this single as being released on July 24, 1961. If anyone knows for sure which date is accurate, please leave a comment.
1962 - Capitol Records releases The Kingston Trio's single "One More Town" with "She Was Too Good To Me" on the flip side. On the same day, the group records the track "New Frontier", written by John Stewart, for their upcoming Capitol Records album of the same name.
1966 - Billboard magazine, in an article with today's street date, reports that The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Paperback Writer", with "Eleanor Rigby" on the flip side, has sold 1.2 million copies in just 4 weeks and has become the band's 21st gold single, setting a setting a record for the most gold records earned by any act in R.I.A.A. history to that date
1968 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "Hey Jude", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1969 - Before it's release, Capitol Records sends out new artwork to manufactures for the back cover of The Beatles' album "Abbey Road" which adds the song "Her Majesty" after "The End" in the track listing after many covers had been printed (and used) without listing the song. Both versions are shipped, with the revised version being rarer.
1973 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's album "Ernie Ford Sings About Jesus"
1990 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's album "Rust In Peace"
1991 - Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss), cartoonist, writer, whose children's stories "Gerald McBoing Boing" and "Gossamer Wump" were released as double sided singles with original artwork paper sleeves by Capitol Records, dies at age 87 in La Jolla, California following several years of illness
2002 - Tuckertime Records releases Tanya Tucker's album "Tanya" with distribution by Capitol Records Nashville
2002 - Capitol Records releases the compilation album "Judy Garland: The Capitol Years 1955-1965" on CD
2003 - Matthew Jay, Capitol Records artist dies at age 24 after falling seven stories from his apartment in Nottingham, England

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1915 - Mary Jane Gumm (aka aka Janie, aka Susie or Suzy), member of the singing group The Gumm Sisters, sister of future Capitol Records artist Judy Garland and aunt to future Capitol Records artist Liza Minnelli, is born. If anyone knows where (possibly Grand Rapids, Minnesota), please leave a comment.
1942 - Gerry Marsden, lead singer with the Parlophone Records group Gerry and The Pacemakers (the second group managed by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein), is born in (Toxteth) Liverpool, England. Parlophone is distributed by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group in the United Kingdom.
1955 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Ain't That A Shame" is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart
1955 - "The Ford Star Jubilee" 90 minute variety show premieres on CBS-TV with Judy Garland, on her first television special, re-creating much of her popular stage show. Two days later, on September 26, 1955, Capitol Records releases Garland's album "Miss Show Business" which contains studio versions of many of the songs she performed on the special.
1963 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano, Bobby Haynes on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "On Broadway Pacific", "Free Sample", "Sassy", "You Are Sometimes Only Rain", and "Moon River" for their Pacific Jazz album "Heat Wave" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer and recording engineer Richard Bock on to four track masters. Pacific Jazz's library is currently owned by Capitol Records and re-issued by Blue Note Records.
1964 - "The Munsters" premieres on CBS-TV. Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) group The Standells will make a guest appearance on an episode performing two songs
1977 - "The Love Boat" premieres on ABC-TV starring Gavin MacLeod, stepfather of Capitol Records' one-time VP of Creative Services Tommy Steele. Not knowing this the first time it happened while I was working freelance inhouse at Capitol, I was wondering why Captain Stubing was sitting on the couch in Tommy's office.
1988 - Bobby McFerrin's EMI Manhattan single "Don't Worry Be Happy", the first a cappella record to top Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, is still #1

SEPTEMBER 23, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Jan Garber's Capitol Records single "You're Breaking My Heart", with "Now That I Need You" on the flip side, enters Billboard's single chart
1954 - Frank Sinatra records the tracks "Don't Change Your Mind About Me" with June Hutton and the Pied Pipers, "Someone To Watch Over Me", "You, My Love" with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle at Capitol Records' studios on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California
1962 - The Kingston Trio record the track "Genny Glenn" for their Capitol Records album "New Frontier"
1968 - The Beatles, in Studio Two at EMI Studios, London, England, record 45 takes of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" with John Lennon on lead guitar and singing guide vocal, George Harrison playing a fuzz lead guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, and Ringo Starr on drums.
1974 - Apple Records releases John Lennon's single "Whatever Gets You Through The Night" that has Elton John on vocal harmonies and piano, with "Beef Jerky" on the flip side, that is distributed by Capitol Records in the United States
1978 - A Taste Of Honey's Capitol Records single "Boogie Oogie Oogie" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1982 - Singer, motion picture actor, guitarist and Capitol Records solo artist and duet artist with Margaret Whiting, Jimmy Wakely, born James Clarence Wakeley, dies at age 68 either of heart failure in Mission Hills, California or of emphysema in Sylmar, California. If anyone knows for sure, please leave a comment or contact me.
1987 - Anne Murray's Capitol Records album "Something To Talk About" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1997 - Capitol Records, using Liquid Audio technology, becomes the first of the world's then six major labels to sell CD-quality singles for consumers to download before they are made available at retail stores when it releases the standard version of Duran Duran's "Electric Barbarella" single online at its website for 99 cents, and a special "internet only mix" for $1.99, after allowing fans to listen to, but not download, the song since Tuesday September 9, 1997

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1926 - John Coltrane, tenor and soprano saxophonist, bandleader, and Blue Note Records session and solo artist, is born John William Coltrane in Hamlet, North Carolina
1955 - Leon Taylor, drummer, son of Dolton Records group The Ventures' drummer Leon Taylor, and now the band's current drummer, is born Melvin Leon Taylor in Johnson City, Tennessee. Dolton's catalog was at first distributed by Liberty Records, and then by United Artists Records, and is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group
1977 - Former Capitol Records artist Cheryl Ladd replaces Farrah Fawcett on the ABC-TV series "Charlie's Angels"
1981 - RCA announces that it has hired former Capitol Records director of business affairs Arnold J. Holland to become director of business affairs for its RCA "SelectaVision" VideoDiscs division, an early version of laser discs that were sealed in plastic cartridges that were loaded into the player like an eight track cartridge
2005 - NBC-TV premieres the series "Three Wishes" which featured Capitol Records Nashville band Ryan Shupe & the RubberBand’s song, “Dream Big” in its national television promotions

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1912 - The first Mack Sennett "Keystone Comedy" is released and features two split-reel comedies, “Cohen Collects a Debt” and “The Water Nymph”
1920 - Mickey Rooney, singer, dancer, Vaudeville, motion picture, radio and television actor, and motion picture director, is born Joe Yule, Jr. in Brooklyn, New York
1930 - Ray Charles, singer and pianist, is born Ray Charles Robinson in Albany, Georgia
1962 - The first episode of Hanna-Barbara's animated comedy television series "The Jetsons" is broadcasted
1987 - Bob Fosse, born Robert Louis Fosse, dancer, choreographer, singer, and director of Broadway musicals and motion pictures, dies of a heart attack at age 60 in Washington, D.C.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1924 - Ray Wetzel, trumpet player with the Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, is born in Parkersburg, West Virginia
1938 - Dean Reed, actor, songwriter, singer, and Capitol Records artist, is born Dean Cyril Reed in Denver, Colorado

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - Nick Reynolds, member of the Capitol Records group The Kingston Trio, marries comedienne Joan Harriss in between performances at the hungry-i in San Francisco, California and will honeymoon at the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu, Hawaii while the group performs there
1959 - Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine record the track "Let's Do It" in stereo for the soundtrack to the film "Can Can" with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle. Capitol Records will release the track as part of the original soundtrack album for the film.
1967 - Capitol Records artist Mrs. Miller is the subject of an article in Life magazine with today's cover date
1968 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "Hey Jude", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1969 - Capitol Records releases The Band's self-titled album
1974 - Andy Kim's Capitol Records single single "Rock Me Gently", with "Rock Me Gently Part II" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1979 - The Knack's Capitol Records single "My Sharona" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1980 - Jimmy Bryant, songwriter, guitarist, and Capitol Records session and recording artist who worked most often with Capitol Records artist Speedy West, dies at age 55 of lung cancer in Moultrie, Georgia
1990 - Wilson Phillips' SBK Records (distributed by Capitol Records in the United States) single "Release Me" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1992 - Capitol Records releases Blind Melon's self-titled debut album
1992 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Garth Brooks' album "The Chase"
1996 - Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton), motion picture actress, singer, and Capitol Records artist, dies at her home in North Hollywood, California at age 81 and is later interred in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California
1997 - Capitol Records artist Hank Thomspon is inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame along with Wayne Carson and Roger Cook

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - Shari Belafonte, singer, motion picture and television actress, and daughter of one-time Capitol Records artist Harry Belafonte, is born in Hackensack, New Jersey
1964 - The musical "Fiddler On The Roof" opens at Imperial Theatre on Broadway starring Zero Mostel, whose previous show "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum"'s cast album was released on Capitol Records. The cast also features Bert Convy, formerly a member of the Capitol Records group The Cheers and later better known as a game show host.
1964 - NBC-TV premieres "The Man From U.N.C.L.E" starring Robert Vaughn and future Capitol Records artist David McCallum
1972 - Sonny James' first single for Columbia Records after leaving Capitol Records, "When The Snow Is On The Roses" with "Love Is A Rainbow" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1980 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono become the first act to sign a distribution deal for their LENONO Music label with Geffen Records which will release their upcoming album "Double Fantasy"
1984 - John Waite's EMI America single "Missing You", with "For Your Love" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1989 - Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Baline), songwriter whose compositions have been covered by many of Capitol's artists which were the souce for the tribute album "Puttin' on the Ritz: Capitol Sings Irving Berlin" released on CD on August 17, 1992, dies at age 101 of a heart attack in New York City and is later interred the Woodlawn Cemetery, The Bronx, New York

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1960 - Joan Jett, guitarist, singer, member of the band The Runaways and solo artist, is born Joan Marie Larkin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

SEPTEMBER 21, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Capitol Records Distribution Company is formed
1964 - Capitol Records releases Peter and Gordon's single "I Don't Want to See You Again", written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with "I Would Buy You Presents" on the flip side
1969 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Tall Dark Strangers", with "Sing That Kind Of A Song" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1995 - Blind Melon make their second and final appearance on “Late Show With David Letterman”, performing "Galaxie", exactly 1 month before lead singer Shannon Hoon dies of an overdose on October 21, 1995
1999 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' compilation albums "The Greatest Hits Vol. 1: 20 Good Vibrations" and "Greatest Hits Vol. 2 - 20 More Good Vibrations". EMI International also releases The Beach Boys' double CD compliation "Original Gold"
1999 - Capitol Records releases The Chipmunks' compilation CD "Greatest Christmas Hits" and Alvin And The Chipmunk's compilation CD "Greatest Hits - Still Squeaky After All These Years"
2003 - Dierks Bentley's debut Capitol Records Nashville single "What Was I Thinkin'", with "Whiskey Tears" included on the Enhanced CD Single, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts where it will stay for 2 weeks
2003 - Jon Mattox, Albie Dunbar, and Sebastian Sheehan of the band Laughing With Lulu, master tracks for their album "In" at The Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California. Jon Mattox's blog has some great photos from that day inside The Tower.
2004 - Capitol Records releases Skye Sweetnam's album "Noise From The Basement"
2004 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Keith Urban's album "Be Here"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1956 - Bassist Paul Chambers, with Donald Byrd on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor sax, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Horace Silver on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums record the tracks "Omicron", "Whims Of Chambers", "Nita", "We Six", "Dear Ann", "Tale Of The Fingers", and "Just For The Love" for Chambers' Blue Note Records album "Whims Of Chambers" at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey with recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder and producer Alfred Lion. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1974 - Walter Brennan, singer, television and three-time Oscar winning motion picture actor, and Liberty Records artist (best remembered for the single "Old Rivers" with "The Epic Ride Of John H. Glenn" on the flip side), dies from emphysema in Oxnard, California at age 80 and is later interred in San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Los Angeles. Liberty Records catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
2004 - Angel Records, a division of Capitol Records, releases Chet Baker's compilation albums "Chet Baker Big Band", "Chet Baker Ensemble", "Chet Baker Sextet", "Chet Baker Sings and Plays", and "Chet Baker - Prince of Cool"

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1912 - Chuck Jones, animator, animation director, and animation studio owner, is born Charles Martin Jones in in Spokane, Washington

SEPTEMBER 20, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1911 - Frank DeVol, bandleader, songwriter, television theme song and score composer, arranger, and Capitol Records artist is born Frank Denny De Vol in Moundsville, West Virginia

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Tennessee Ernie Ford records the tracks "Sixteen Tons" and "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry" with Jack Fascinato conducting the studio orchestra at Capitol Records' Melrose studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will release both tracks together as a single on October 17, 1955.
1963 - Judy Garland sings the song "Fly Me To the Moon (In Other Words)" live for her CBS television show and a recording of the performance will appear on her Capitol Records album "Just For Openers"
1973 - Former Capitol Records artists, singer and guitarist Jim Croce (who recorded for Capitol as part of a duo with his wife Ingrid Croce), age 30, and guitarist and pianist Maury Muehleisen, age 24, are killed in a small commercial airplane when it crashes in Natchitoches, Louisiana along with Jim's road manager Dennis Rast, his booking agent Ken Cortese, the opening act comedian George Stevens, and the pilot Robert Newton Elliott
1988 - Freddie Jackson's Capitol Records album "Don't Let Love Slip Away" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1988 - Poison's Capitol Records album "Open Up And Say Ahh!" is certified Multi-Platinum by the R.I.A.A. for selling 2 million copies
1996 - Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein, aka pianist Jonathan Edwards), arranger, conductor, composer, band leader, creator of "Mood Music", Capitol Records' first music director and musical director for many movies, radio and television shows and specials, a founder and first national president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, a founder of Corinthian Records, Capitol Records artist, and husband of Capitol Records artist Jo Stafford, dies at age 84 in Santa Monica, California and memorial services were later held at Church Of The Good Shepherd, 505 N. Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills, California
2005 - Capitol Records Nashville announces that their recording artist Trace Adkins was released from the hospitol four days after undergoing emergency surgery for an abdominal inflammatory infection

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1948 - Future Capitol Records artists The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan, Don Barbour, Ross Barbour, and Hal Kratzsch) perform at their first professional booking when they appear at the "113 Club" in Fort Wayne, Indiana
1953 - Ricci James Martin, actor and son of Capitol Records artist Dean Martin and his wife Jeanne Martin, is born
1967 - Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, sons of actor and Imperial Records artist Rick Nelson and actress Kristin Harmon, are born Matthew Gray Nelson and Gunnar Eric Nelson in Santa Monica, California. Both were involved in the production of their father's Capitol Records box set "Legacy".
1987 - Dan Seals' EMI America Records single "Three Time Loser", with "On The Front Line" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1920 - Jay Ward, animator, animation director and producer, and animation studio owner, is born J Troplong Ward in Berekely, California
1973 - The Roxy Theatre on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California opens with headliner Neil Young

SEPTEMBER 19, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1933 - David McCallum, actor ("The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "The Invisible Man", "N.C.I.S.", etc.) and Capitol Records recording artist is born David Keith McCallum in Glasglow, Scotland
1934 - Brian Epstein, author, manager of his family's North End Road Music Stores (NEMS) and manager of the EMI/Capitol Records group The Beatles (1962-1967), as well as Gerry and The Pacemakers, Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, The Fourmost, The Big Three, The Silkie, Tommy Quickly, The Cyrkle, The Remo Four, and others, is born Brian Samuel Epstein in Rodney Street, in Liverpool, England
1942 - Danny Kalb, guitarist and founder of the Capitol Records recording group (1971-1972) The Blues Project, is born in Mount Vernon, New York
1945- Freda Payne, singer, actress, and Invictus Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records formed by Brian and Eddie Holland) artist, is born Freda Charcelia Payne in Detroit, Michigan. On her birthday in 1970, her single "Band Of Gold" is #1 on the U.K. Pop singles charts.
1948 - "Mama" Cass Elliot, motion picture actress (movie version of "H.R. Pufnstuf"), singer (both with the group The Mamas And The Papas and as a solo artist), and a Capitol Records artist (on the soundtrack to “H.R. Pufnstuf”), is born in Balt, Maryland.
1949 - Twiggy, supermodel, motion picture actress, judge on television talent show, singer, dancer, and Capitol Records artist, is born Lesley Hornby in the London suburb of Neasden, England
1952 - Nile Rodgers, singer, founding member of the group Chic, member of the group The Honeydrippers, record producer for Capitol Records band Duran Duran and EMI America artist David Bowie, and assisted with the production of Capitol Records band Power Station's self-titled debut album, is born in New York City, New York

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra hosts a special episode of the radio show "Biography in Sound" on the life of Capitol Records artist Stan Kenton, playing several of Kenton’s records and narrating the highlights of Kenton’s career and new approaches on Jazz music
1960 - Stan Kenton and his Orchestra record eight tracks at their first recording session with four mellophonium players (Gene Roland, Joe Burnette, Bill Horan and Tom Wirtel), playing to the charts of Johnny Richards and Gene Roland, at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. Some of the tracks are included on the CD of Kenton's Capitol Records album "Cuban Fire!" that was re-issued by Capitol Jazz, a division of Blue Note Records, which is a subsidiary of Capitol Records
1966 - At the first session for The Beach Boys' album "Smile", Brian Wilson records "Our Prayer" also known as just "Prayer" that he intends to be the unlisted intro to the album but not a proper track, at Columbia Studio in Los Angeles, California
1979 - Louis Ferdinand Busch (aka Lou Busch and aka Joe "Fingers" Carr), pianist, Capitol Records and Warner Brothers Records A&R executive and producer, head of Capitol Records Transcription service, session pianist for Peggy Lee, Tennessee Ernie Ford and Jo Stafford, one-time husband of Capitol Records artist Margaret Whiting and father of Debbie Whiting, and Capitol Records recording artist under the name Joe "Fingers" Carr, is killed in an auto accident in Camarillo, California at age 69 and is later interred in the Westwood Village Mortuary near UCLA in Westwood, California
1979 - John Simmons, bass player in an early lineup of The King Cole Trio and with Capitol Records artist Illinois Jacquet's band as well as playing on Capitol Records sessions for Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee and Sammy Davis, Jr., dies either in Orange, New York or Los Angeles, California at age 61. If anyone knows for sure which city, please leave a comment.
1982 - The Steve Miller Band's Capitol Records single "Abracadabra", with "Baby Wanna Dance" on the flip side, returns to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart
1986 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's album "Peace Sells"
1999 - Capitol Records artist Tommy Collins is inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame
2006 - Capitol Records releases Chingy's album "Hoodstar"

SEPTEMBER 18, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1894 - Willard Robison, singer, bandleader (Willard Robison's Levee Loungers and Willard Robison & The Deep River Boys, The Deep River Orchestra), radio show host, and composer (best known for "A Cottage For Sale" with lyrics by Larry Conley) whose songs were covered by various Capitol Records artists on the album "Willard Robinson's Deep River Music", is born in Shellbina, Missouri
1917 - June Foray, voice actor (Rocket J. Squirrel, Natasha, Witch Hazel, and many others), actress and Capitol Records recording artist on many children's records and comedy records with Stan Freberg and Daws Butler, is born in Springfield, Massachusettes
1941 - Gary Lane, bass player with the Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) group The Standells, is born
1953 - Carl Jackson, vocalist, bluegrass instrumentalist, songwriter, and Capitol Records session player and recording artist, is born in Louisville, Mississippi

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Frank Morgan (born Francis Phillip Wupperman), Broadway, motion picture (best remembered for his five roles in the M-G-M motion picture "The Wizard Of Oz"), and radio actor, and Capitol Records artist (narrator on the Dr. Suess childrens record "Gossamer Wump"), dies in Beverly Hills, California of a heart attack during a break in shooting the M-G-M motion picture "Annie Get Your Gun" and is later buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York
1957 - Lyle Ritz begins recording sessions for his album "How About Uke?" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1965 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Help!", with "I'm Down" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1967 - Merle Haggard records "Sing Me Back Home" which Capitol Records will release as a single on October 23, 1967 with "Good Times" on the flip side
1970 - Jimi Hendrix, guitarist and Capitol Records artist (on the 1970 live album "Band Of Gypsys"), dies in the basement flat of the Samarkand Hotel at 22 Lansdowne Crescent in London, England at age 27 after drinking wine, taking sleeping pills prescribed for his girlfriend Monika Dannemann who was with him and called for an ambulance, then choaking on his own vomit
1981 - Billy Squier's second Capitol Records album, "Don't Say No", is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.
1988 - Dan Seals' Capitol Records single "Addicted", with "Maybe I'm Missing You Now" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1994 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later to be renamed Capitol Records Nashville) album "In Pieces" debuts at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums and Country albums charts
1997 - Jimmy Witherspoon, blues, R&B big band and jazz baritone singer and Capitol Records and Blue Note Records artist, dies in his sleep in Los Angeles, California at age 74

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1793 - George Washington lays the cornerstone for the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. which was designed by Dr. William Thornton, a Scottish-trained physician living in the British West Indies. The Capitol building would later become part of Capitol Records' first logo, which will be later simplified to use just the dome and cuppola.
1905 - Eddie Anderson, radio, motion picture, and television actor (best remembered for the role of Rochester Van Jones on the Jack Benny radio and television shows and related movies), who introduced Capitol Records artist Nat "King" Cole to his future wife Maria Ellington, is born Edmund Lincoln Anderson in Oakland, California
1940 - Frankie Avalon, singer, motion picture actor, and United Artists Records artist (soundtrack of "Muscle Beach Party"), is born Francis Thomas Avallone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1942 - Future Capitol Records artist Tennessee Ernie Ford married Betty Jean Heminger
1961 - Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Take Good Care Of My Baby", with "Bashful Bob" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1964 - "The Addams Family" debuts on ABC-TV. The character Lurch, played by Ted Cassidy, will release a single with a picture sleeve on Capitol Records called "The Lurch"
1973 - Ringo Starr buys John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Tittenhurst Park manor and immediately made in the in-house studio, re-christened Startling Studios, available for use by other recording artists
1988 - Bobby McFerrin's EMI Manhattan single "Don't Worry Be Happy" (Edit), with "Simple Pleasures" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1927 - The Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) begins when it broadcasts the opera "The King’s Henchman" as its first program. 26-year old William S. Paley put the network together by purchasing 16 failing radio stations at a cost between US$250,000 and $450,000.
1932 - Actress Peg Entwistle commits suicide by jumping from the H in the Hollywood sign
1943 - Decca Records agrees to pay royalties into an American Federation Of Musicians fund for all records released, thus ending the union-led ban on instrumental recordings for the label. Capitol Records will settle less than a month later on October 8, 1943, but Columbia and RCA/Victor Records will hold out until November 1944, giving Capitol an exclusive on many new recordings that will help make it into one of the top four labels in the United States.
1957 - The Crickets' Brunswick single "That'll Be The Day", with "I'm Looking For Someone To Love" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1904 - Jerry Colonna, comedian, actor, saxophonist, second banana to Bob Hope on his radio show and during their USO tours, and Capitol Records artist, is born Gerardo Luigi Colonna in Boston, Massachusetts
1950 - Fee Waybill, lead singer of the Capitol Records group The Tubes, is born John Waldo in Omaha, Nebraska

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY!
1955 - Tennessee Ernie Ford records both tracks for the single "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry", with "Sixteen Tons" as the flip side, at Capitol Records' studios on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California with arranger Jack Fascinato and producer Lee Gillette. Disc Jockey's would quickly make the flip side the hit after Capitol ships the record on October 17, 1955.
1955 - Capitol Records released "Magic Melody, Part Two". The tune consists only of the last two notes of the musical phrase, “Shave and a haircut, two bits,” making it the shortest tune ever to be released.
1972 - Capitol Records artist, Mark Guerrero with The Mudd Brothers, perform at "the first ever Chicano rock concert" at Cal State L.A. Statium
1990 - Captiol Records releases Poison's single "Something To Believe In" with "Ball And Chain" on the flip side
1996 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Ronnie Milsap's compliation album "Ronnie Milsap Sings His Best Hits For Capitol Records"
1996 - Capitol Records releases the leopard spotted, faux fur covered "Ultra-Lounge Fuzzy Sampler"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1941 - Twenty-one year old Peggy Lee makes her on stage debut as the singer with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra at The Meadowbrook in New Jersey. Both Lee and Goodman would become Capitol Records artists later in the '40s.
1962 - Pianist Duke Ellington, with Charles Mingus on bass and Max Roach on drums, records his United Artists album "Money Jungle" at Sound Makers Studios in New York City with producer Alan Douglas and recording engineer Bill Schwartau. The album will be reissued by Blue Note Records on CD. Capitol Records currently owns the United Artists and Blue Note Records catalogs.
1967 - The first printed "Paul Is Dead" story appears in Tim Harper's article for the Drake Times-Delphic (the student newspaper of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa) titled "Is Beatle Paul McCartney Dead?"
1999 - The United States Post Office issues a stamp, illustrated by Robin Shepherd (who started his career painting cels for the movie) and graphic designer Caleb Lawrence, to commemorate the re-issue of The Beatles' animated feature film "Yellow Submarine"

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1923 - Hank Williams, songwriter, guitarist, and singer, is born Hiram King Williams in Georgiana, Alabama

SEPTEMBER 16, 2007

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1963 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' album "Surfer Girl"
1963 - Capitol Records Canada releases The Beatles' single "She Loves You", with "I'll Get You", on the flip side. In the United States, the single is released by Swan Records.
1964 - Capitol Records artist Donna Loren becomes a featured singer on the ABC Television show "Shindig!" which also premieres on this date. Loren will remain the featured female vocalist for the entire run of the show which ends January 8, 1966
1968 - The Beatles record the track "I Will" for their self-titled album (aka "The White Album") at EMI Studios on Abbey Road, in London, England. The also record a version of "Step Inside Love" (which the wrote for Celia Black who also recorded it) which will appear on their album "Anthology 3"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1963 - Richard Marx, singer, songwriter, record producer and EMI America Records artist, is born Richard Noel Marx in Winnetka, Illinois. Capitol Records currently owns the EMI America library.
2003 - Virgin Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, releases A Perfect Circle's album "Thirteenth Step"

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1965 - "The Dean Martin Show" premieres in a Thursday 10:00 pm time slot on the NBC television network
1977 - Marc Bolan, lead singer of the band T-Rex, is killed at age 29 early in the morning in auto accident on a tight curve in Barnes Common in London, England when his common law wife, mother of his son Rolan Seymour Bolan, and former Tower Records artist ("Tainted Love"), Gloria Jones, looses control of the car she's driving and hits a tree. Jones survives and arrives home the next day to find her home vandalized by Bolan's fans looking for souvenirs. Capitol Records will send a flower arrangement shaped like a large white swan to Bolan's funeral.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1928 - Cannonball Adderley, alto saxophonist, bandleader, and Capitol Records artist, is born Julian Adderley in Tampa, Florida

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1962 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Ramblin' Rose", with "The Good Times" on the flip side, peaks at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart becoming Cole's highest-charting pop single
1973 - Helen Reddy's Capitol Records single "Delta Dawn", with "If We Could Could Still Be Friends" on the flip side, peaks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
2005 - Michael Sidney Luft, third husband (1952-1964) Judy Garland, father of her children Joey and Lorna Luft, and Garland's manager during her early years with Capitol Records, dies at age 89 in Santa Monica, California after a heart attack.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1899 - Francis Barraud's painting "His Master's Voice" is purchased by The Gramophone Company Ltd. (which will become EMI). The picture is first used the following year on the Company's Record Supplement for January 1900 and becomes the company's official logo through out the world except for the United States. In the United States Victor Recording Company acquires the rights to use the image as their logo and eventually becomes the logo for the Radio Corporation of America after it acquires Victor.
1955 - Frank Sinatra introduces the song "Love And Marriage" on the NBC television production of "Our Town" as well as acting in the special. Sinatra will later record the song (specially written by Sammy Cahn and his new partner James Van Heusen), for release on Capitol Records.
1961 - The Pendletones (later to become The Beach Boys) record for the first time at Hite Morgan's home studio, recording the tracks "Luau" and "Surfin'"
1975 - Pink Floyd's album "Wish You Were Here" is released by Harvest Records, a division of EMI, in the UK and on Columbia Records in the United States. Capitol Records currently releases all the Pink Floyd albums, and released a 25th anniversary CD edition of "Wish You Were Here" on April 25, 2000.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1959 - John Berry, singer and Capitol Records Nashville artist (1992-1998) is born in Aiken, South Carolina
1970 - Craig Montoya, bass player with the band Red Spector and the Capitol Records band Everclear (1992-2003), is born Craig Aloysius Montoya in Spokane, Washington

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1962 - Bunny Brunel, Mike Stern, Billy Childs, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Chic Corea begin sessions for their "Dedication" album at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1963 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfer Girl", with "Little Deuce Coupe" on the flip side, peaks at #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1968 - The Beatles' Apple single "Hey Jude", with "Revolution" on the flip side and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, debuts on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1970 - Captiol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "Rainy Night In Georgia" with "Let The Lovelight In Your Eyes Lead Me On" on the flip side
1992 - Capitol Records releases Blind Melon's self-titled debut album and the compilation album "Christmas On The Range: Cowboy Classics From Capitol Records"
1999 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' remastered soundtrack album "Yellow Submarine" in the United States, one day after EMI had released it in the rest of the world.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1959 - Bill Britten begins playing Bozo and a number of other characters on "The Bozo Show" on WPIX Channel 11 in New York City. He'll stay with the show until April 1964. Capitol Records' VP of Children's Records, Alan Livingston, created Bozo in 1946.
1999 - Capitol Jazz, a subsidiary of Blue Note Records, releases The Benny Goodman Trio's complilation album "The Complete Capitol Trios" on CD. Blue Note Records is owned by Capitol Records.
1999 - Blue Note Records releases the 2 CD RVG edition of Sonny Rollins' album "A Night At The Village Vanguard". Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1916 - Dick Haymes, singer, radio and motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (1955-1957), is born Richard Benjamin Haymes in Buenos Aires, Argentina
1925 - Mel Torme, singer, drummer, motion picture and television actor, and Capitol Records artist (1949-1952), is born Melvin Howard Torme in Chicago, Illinois
1961 - Dave Mustaine, guitarist, singer, songwriter, member of the band Metallica and the Capitol Records band (1986-2000) Megadeth, is born David Scott Mustaine in La Mesa, California
1967 - Stephen Perkins, drummer for the bands Porno For Pyros, Banyan, Infectious Grooves, Hellride, and the Capitol Records bands Jane's Addiction and The Panic Channel, is born Stephen Andrew Perkins in Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1965 - Nancy Wilson, with arranger Sid Feller conducting the orchestra, records the track "I'll Only Miss Him When I Think of Him"
1969 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono perform at a rock 'n' roll revival concert at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, backed by Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and Alan White. It is the first time Lennon has given a rock performance on stage without Paul McCartney or the rest of The Beatles since 1957.
1977 - Leopold Stokowsky, conductor and Capitol Records artist, dies in his sleep at age 95 in his house in Nether Wallop, Hampshire, England
1991 - Vern Yocum, copyist, librarian, orchestrator and woodwind player, brother of Clark Yocum of the Capitol Records recording group The Pied Pipers, co-founder of The Musician’s Guild, founder of Hollywood’s top music preparation office which did work for hundreds of performers from the radio, television, film, and recording industries including Capitol Records artists and arrangers Nat "King" Cole, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle, Peggy Lee, Keely Smith, Dean Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Alex Stordahl, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May, Frank Duval, George Cates, Don Costa, and André Previn, dies of bladder cancer at age 82
2005 - Capitol Records releases The Dandy Warhol's album "Odditorium or Warlords of Mars"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1965 - Zack Starkey, son of Capitol Records artist Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen, is born
2005 - Blue Note Records, a division of Capitol Records, releases David Axelrod's compilation album "The Edge - David Axelrod at Capitol Records 1966-1970"
2005 - EMI Classics, a division of Capitol Records, releases the compilation of recordings of compositions by Fritz Kreisler entitled "Kreisler: Original Compositions & Arrangements".

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1996 - Tupac Shakur, singer, songwriter, poet, and actor, dies at age 25 of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada six days after being shot four times by an unknown drive-by shooter also in Las Vegas

SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1924 - Ella Mae Morse, singer with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Freddie Slack and His Orchestra, and a Capitol Records solo artist, is born in Mansfield, Texas
1952 - Gerry Beckley, lead and backing singer, keyboardist, guitarist, bass guitarist, and harmonica player all for the Capitol Records group (1975-1985) America, is born in Fort Worth, Texas

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1960 - Capitol Records artist Tommy Sands weds Nancy Sinatra, Jr., daughter of Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra
1960 - Capitol Records releases The Kingston Trio's single "Everglades" with "This Mornin', This Evenin', So Soon"
1961 - Frank Sinatra records the tracks "A Million Dreams Ago" and "I'll Remember April" with arranger Axel Stordahl conducting the orchestra, in Studio A at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for Sinatra's last Capitol Records album "Point Of No Return". This will be the last of Sinatra's sessions for Capitol Records before he leaves to start Reprise Records.
1963 - The Beatles record "Don't Bother Me" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England with producer George Martin. This is their first time recording a song written by George Harrison as EMI artists.
1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "Yesterday" with "Act Naturally" on the flip side
1966 - The Beatles Capitol Records single "Yellow Submarine", with "Eleanor Rigby" on the flip side, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1972 - William Boyd (born William Lawrence Boyd), motion picture and television actor (best remembered for his on going roll as Hopalong Cassidy) and Capitol Records artist (the Hopalong Cassidy series of Childrens records), dies at age 77 in Laguna Beach, California and is later buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
1993 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "Ain't Going Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)", with "Kickin' And Screamin'" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.
2000 - Capitol Records releases Amy Correia's album "Carnival Love" with Blind Melon's guitarist Christopher Thorn and bass player Brad Smith playing with her
2004 - Keith Urban's Capitol Records Nashville single "Days Go By", released on a CD-Single with another version of the song on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
2006 - Capitol Records releases Bob Seger's first studio album in 11 years, "Face The Promise", as both a standard CD and a limited edition CD/DVD package. Capitol has also scheduled releases for today of a Dean Martin compilation "Christmas With Dino", David Gray's album "Sell, Sell, Sell", The Proclaimers' album "Sunshine on Leith" and Talk Talk's album "Spirit of Eden".
2006 - Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Music Catalog Marketing release Merle Haggard's compilation album "Hag: The Best Of Merle Haggard" with liner notes by Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1961 - Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Take Good Care Of My Baby", with "Bashful Bob" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. Liberty's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1970 - "Josie And The Pussycats" debuts on CBS-TV. Capitol Records releases a soundtrack album featuring vocals by Cheryl Ladd.
1977 - James Louis McCartney, son of Capitol Records artists Paul and Linda McCartney, is born
2000 - EMI Classics releases Plácido Domingo's album "Songs Of Love". EMI Classics is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
2006 - Virgin Records releases Daz Dillinger's album "So So Gangsta" in both an Edited and a Parental Advisory version. Virgin Records is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1866 - "The Black Crook", a four-act performance, becomes the first burlesque show to open in New York City and will run for 475 performances making $1.3 million for its producers (about US$16.5 to $33 million in 2007 dollars with inflation depending on which calculator you use - believe it or not, some years actually have negative inflation!)
1959 - "Bonanza" premieres on NBC-TV becoming the first regularly-scheduled TV program broadcast in color. The series was green-lighted by Alan Livingston, former VP of Childrens records and VP A&R at Capitol Records and the company's future president and Chairman of the Board. The series' theme song was written by Livingston's brother Jay Livingston with writing partner Ray Evans.
1966 - "The Monkees" premieres on NBC-TV
2003 - Johnny Cash, singer, songwriter, guitarist, dies at age 71 at at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee due to complications from diabetes, which resulted in respiratory failure

SEPTEMBER 11, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1940 - Bernie Dwyer, drummer with the Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) group Freddie And The Dreamers, is born in Manchester, England
1945 - Leo Kottke, guitarist and Capitol Records artist(1971-1975), is born in Athens, Georgia
1977 - Jonny Buckland, guitarist with the Capitol Records group Coldplay, is born in London, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Cootie Williams and His Orchestra (Cootie Williams on trumpet; Bob Merrill on trumpet and vocals; E. V. Perry, Otis Gamble, Clarence "Gene" Redd, and Billy Ford on trumpet; Ed Burke, Edward Johnson, and Julius "Hawkshaw" Watson on trombone; Rupert Cole and Daniel Williams on alto saxohone; Chuck Clarke and Edwin Johnson on tenor saxophone; Bob Ashton on baritone saxophone; Arnold Jarvis on piano; Norman Keenan on bass; and Butch Ballard on drums) record the tracks "Rhapsody In Bass", "Ain't Got No Blues Today" (with vocals by Merrill), and "Bring 'Em Down Front" (with vocals by Merrill), at WMCA Studios in New York City
1958 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle, records the track "Mr. Success"
1961 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger and conductor Axel Stordahl, records the track "I'll See You Again" on the first day of sessions for his last Capitol Records album "Point Of No Return" in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios
1961 - Capitol Records releases The Kingston Trio's album "Close Up" which is their first album with John Stewart as a member
1962 - The Beatles re-record "Love Me Do" with Andy White on drums instead of Ringo Starr. This version will be used on all album releases and in all other territories except England on the single releases.
1963 - The Beatles record the track "All I've Got To Do"
1965 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "HELP!" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart and will stay on top for nine weeks and their Capitol Records single "HELP!", with "I'm Down" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1967 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "Hand-Me-Down Things" with "The Road" on the flip side
1969 - Leon Payne, guitarist, songwriter (best known for "Lost Highway" and "I Love You Because"), member of the group Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, and a Capitol Records solo artist, dies in San Antonio, Texas at age 52
1987 - Peter Tosh (born Winston Hubert McIntosh), singer, songwriter, member of the band The Wailers, and Capitol Records solo recording artist, along with musician and herbalist Wilton "Doc" Brown and popular Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation DJ Jeff "Free-I" Dixon, are shot in Tosh's home in Kingston, Jamaica by three men demanding money. Brown is killed instantly and Tosh and Dixon will later be pronounced dead at University Hospital in Kingston. Tosh was 43 years old.
2007 - Former Capitol Records artist Brian Wilson is announced to be one of the five honorees of the Kennedy Center Honors to be held December 2, 2007 in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will be broadcast by CBS-TV on December 26, 2006. The other honorees are comedian Steve Martin, motion picture director and film preservationist Martin Scorsese, singer Diana Ross and pianist Leon Fleisher.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1957 - John Moss, with the Virgin Records group Culture Club, is born
1966 - Gregory Kane, keyboardist with the Circa Records (a division of Virgin Records) band Hue And Cry (and, with his brother and bandmate Pat Kane has also performed or recorded with Madonna, U2, Simply Red, James Brown, The Brecker Brothers, The Average White Band, Ray Charles, and Tito Puente), is born in Coatbridge, Scotland
1967 - The Beatles begin filming their BBC Television musical "Magical Mystery Tour" as the cast and crew board the coach and begin travelling around the UK. Capitol Records will release the soundtrack album in the United States.
1998 - Stella Ritter, granddaughter of Capitol Records artist Tex Ritter and daughter of actors John Ritter and Amy Yasbeck, is born
2003 - John Ritter, television and motion picture actor, and son of Capitol Records artist Tex Ritter, dies at age 54 (exactly one week before his 55th birthday) from an aortic dissection caused by a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect, after being rushed to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center (the same hospital where he was born) in Burbank, California when he became seriously ill during rehearsals on the set of his television series "8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter". Ritter is latter interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1950 - The first photo-typesetting machine is put on public display at the Sixth Educational Graphic Arts Exposition, in Chicao, Illinois. It is the Intertype Fotosetter Photogtaphic Line Composing Machine which is manufactured by the Intertype Corporation of Brooklyn, New York
1972 - Max Fleischer, animator, animation developer, director and producer, and studio founder with brothers Dave and Richard (Fleisher Studios which innovated using the rotoscope process for animation, created the first sound cartoon in 1924 using the Lee DeForest sound-on-film synchronization process, created the characters Betty Boop and Koko the Clown, created the "follow the bouncing ball" sing along cartoons series, and set the standard for animation with shorts based on the Popeye and Superman characters before selling the studios to Paramount Pictures in 1942), dies at age 89 in Woodland Hills, California
1981 - The HBO special "The Pee-wee Herman Show" airs for the first time
2001 - 9/11
Calls went out early in the morning to Capitol's employees not to come into the office that day. I was woken up by the call and couldn't believe what I had heard. The rest of the day was spent just watching the news unfold. The Tower did re-open the next day but soon there was a bomb scare at around noon that sent all the employees out of the building and in to the newly re-developed far rear parking lot. If anything had happened to the building it would have been a great view but we probably would all have been killed flying pieces of The Tower. After a few hours we were let back into the building. After that day, security was tightened to the point where tourists could no longer enter The Tower to look at the gold records lining the walls of the lobby. This policy is still in effect to this today.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1922 (maybe 1927) - Yma Sumac, singer with 5 octave range, Broadway performer, and Capitol Records artist, is born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo in Ichocán, Peru. If anyone knows for sure which year she was born in, please leave a comment.
1961 - O'Bryan, singer, dancer, songwriter (created the theme song for the television show "Soul Train" used in the 1980s), record producer, and Capitol Records artist (1982-1986), is born McCoy Burnette Jr. at Pender County Memorial Hospital in Burgaw, North Carolina

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Tex Williams' Capitol Records single "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette), with "Roundup Polka" on the flip side, is tied for #2 on the U.S. charts with another version of the song recorded by Phil Harris for RCA Records with "Crawdad Song" on the flip side. Also Red Ingle And His Natural Seven with guest vocalist Cinderella G. Stump (aka Jo Stafford)'s Capitol Records single "Tim-Tay-Shun", with "For Seventy Mental Reasons" on the flip side is at #5
1955 - The Louvin Brothers' Capitol Records single "When I Stopped Dreaming", with "Pitfall" on the flip side, enters the U.S. Country singles charts
1962 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "How Great Thou Art" with "Eternal Life (The Prayer of St. Francis)" on the flip side
1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Revolver" knocks their Capitol Records album "Yesterday & Today" out of the #1 album spot on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1979 - Triumvirant begins recording its Capitol Records album "Russian Roulette"
1990 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's album "Rust In Peace"
1991 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Garth Brooks' third album "Ropin' The Wind" It is the first country album to carry a $10.98 suggested retail price.
1991 - Capitol Records releases the compilation album "Christmas Kisses"
1998 - Grand Royal and Capitol Records group The Beastie Boys are presented with the Video Vanguard Award at the 15th annual MTV Video Music Awards.


ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1939 - Cynthia Lennon, artist, mother of John Charles Julian Lennon and first wife of John Lennon, is born Cynthia Lillian Powell in Blackpool, Lancashire, England
1940 - Roy "Daddy Bug" Ayers, vibraphonist with the bands of Curtis Amy, Jack Wilson and the Pacific Jazz group The Gerald Wilson Orchestra, is born Roy E. Ayers Jr. in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group, currently owns the Pacific Jazz catalog.
1947 - Tenor saxophonist Illinois Jaquet (with Russell Jacquet and Joe Newman on trumpet, J.J. Johnson on trombone, Leo Parker on baritone saxophone, Sir Charles Thompson on piano, John Collins on guitar, Al Lucas on bass, and Shadow Wilson on drums) records the tracks "Goofin' Off", "Riffin' With Jacquet", "Don't Push Daddy", two takes of "Sahara Heat", and "It's Wild" for Aladdin Records. Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group, currently owns the Aladdin catalog.
1949 - Barriemore Barlow, percussionist and drummer with the band The Blades, the Chrysalis Records group Jethro Tull, and founder of the band Tandoori Cassette, is born Barry Barlow in Birmingham, England. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1957 - Carol Decker, lead singer with the Virgin Records group T'Pau and a solo artist, is born in London, England. I designed the packaging for the 12" promo for their first U.S. single release "Heart And Soul" using an idea from Virgin Record America's co-president Jeff Ayeroff, and revised the original UK packaging of their self-titled debut album for release on vinyl, cassette and CD in the United States by the label. I attended their performance at The Roxy on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, catching Carol's eye. When I went upstairs to their dressing rooms afterwords she was kind of surprised and happy to see me, but that faded pretty quickly when she found out I worked for their label. Virgin's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1994 - Talulah Pine LeBon, daughter of Simon LeBon (singer with the Capitol Records group Duran Duran) and his wife Yasmin Parvenah LeBon, is born

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1908 - Raymond Scott, pianist, bandleader, composer (whose works were adapted by Carl Stalling for use in many of Warner Bros.' classic Looney Tunes animated shorts), is born Harry Warnow in Brooklyn, New York
1958 - Dan Castellaneta, motion picture, television actor and voice actor (Homer Simpson and many others on "The Simpsons" and Grandpa Phil from "Hey Arnold"), is born Daniel Louis Castellaneta in Chicago, Illinois

SEPTEMBER 9, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1929 - Stu Phillips, television and motion picture score composer, record producer, and creator, producer and conductor of the Capitol Records group The Hollyridge Strings, is born. Thanks to Stu for the corrections and he has a great website at http://www.stuwho.com/ with accurate information, unlike many of the refernce sites' listings for him.
1942 - Artie Kornfield, songwriter ("Dead Man's Curve"), co-organizer and co-producer of the 1969 Woodstock Art Fair and Music Festival, and who, at age 21, became Capitol Records youngest Vice President, is born Arthur Lawerence Kornfeld in Brooklyn, New York
1949 - Billy Preston, singer, pianist, keyboards player, motion picture actor (as a child in "S. Louis Blues" as the young W.C. Handy which was played as an adult by Nat "King" Cole, who had young Billy on his television show to perform a duet, and later he was in the 1978 motion picture "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"), and Apple and Capitol Records solo artist and session player with The Beatles as a group and as solo performers, is born William Everett Preston in Houston, Texas

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1959 - The Four Freshmen begin three straight days of sessions for their Capitol Records album "Voices And Brass" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1964 - Arranger Johnny Richards (with musicians Bob McCoy, Jerry Kail, and Ray Copeland on trumpets; Burt Collins on trumpet and flugelhorn; Jiggs Whigham, Bill Watrous, and Tom McIntosh on trombones; Ray Starling on mellophonium; Jay McAllister on tuba; Jerry Dodgion on alto saxophone; Frank Perowsky on tenor saxophone; Joel Kaye on baritone saxophone and piccolo; Shelly Russell on bass saxophone; Johnny Knapp on piano; Chet Amsterdam on bass; Ronnie Bedford on drums; and Warren Smith on percussion), records the tracks "Get Me To The Church On Time", "On The Street Where You Live", "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Wouldn't It Be Loverly", "Show Me", "The Rain In Spain", "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", and "With A Little Bit Of Luck" for his Roulette Records album "My Fair Lady - My Way" with producers Hugo & Luigi, and recording engineer Bob Arnold, at Capitol Records' New York City studios. Capitol Records currently owns the Roulette catalog.
1968 - Capitol Records, in a press release on this day, states that The Beatles' single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" has sold nearly 5 million copies in the United States, making it the best selling single of the 1960s. This was before the R.I.A.A. created the Platinum Single award.
1968 - Capitol Records artists Buck Owens and The Buckaroos play at The White House for President Johnson
1971 - Apple Records, with distribution by Capitol Records in the United States, releases John Lennon's album "Imagine"
1973 - Helen Reddy's Capitol Records single "Delta Dawn", with "If We Could Still Be Friends" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1978 - A Taste of Honey's Capitol Records single "Boogie Oogie Oogie", with "World Spin" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and will eventually sell more than 2 million copies, becoming Capitol's first Platinum single
1979 - Norrie Paramor, pianist, record producer (26 number #1 hits on the U.K. singles charts), composer, arranger, orchestral conductor, recording director for EMI's Columbia Records (where he produced hit singles for Cliff Richards, The Shadows, and Frank Ifield among others), and recorded one of the biggest selling albums in Capitol Records' "Capitol of the World" import series - "In London in Love" (which featured soprano Patricia Clark), dies of cancer at age 65.
1988 - Garth Brooks' debut Capitol Records Nashville single "If Tomorrow Never Comes", with "The Dance" on the flip side, debuts on Billboard's Country Singles chart
1990 - Wilson Phillips' SBK Records single (distributed by Capitol Records) "Release Me", with "Eyes Like Twins" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1993 - Helen O'Connell, singer (with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra), dancer, actress, wife of Capitol Records artist and arranger Frank DeVol, and a Capitol Records solo artist, dies at age 73 in San Diego, California
2001 - VH1 premieres the documentary "Behind The Music: Blind Melon" about the Capitol Records group
2003 - Capitol Records group Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin delivers the "Big Noise" petition calling for fairer trade policies to the World Trade Organization (WTO) at it's meeting in Cancun, Mexico
2004 - Capitol Records Nashville artists The Jenkins perform at a special gathering of Capitol Hill VIPs and members of Congress in Washington D.C. put together by the MUSIC Coalition (Music United for Stong Internet Copyright) to celebrate digital music done legally.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Inez Foxx, singer and member of the United Artists Records duo Charlie (her brother) and Inez Foxx (best remembered for the single "Mockingbird" with "Hurt By Love" on the flip side), is born in Greensboro, North Carolina
1956 - The Rock And Roll Trio (Johnny Burnett on vocals and acoustic guitar, Dorsey Burnette on bass guitar, Paul Burlison on lead guitar and newly added drumer and cousin of Carl Perkins, Tony Austin) appear as finalists on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour at Madison Square Garden.
1956 - The Goons' (Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe) Decca U.K. (distributed by Capitol's parent company EMI in the U.K.) single "Ying Tong Song", with "Bloodnok's Rock n' Roll Call" on the flip side, enters the UK singles chart at #9
1959 - Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer appears on NBC-TV's "Kraft Music Hall"
1964 - Arranger and conductor Johnny Richards (with Bob McCoy, Jerry Kail, and Ray Copeland on trumpets; Burt Collins on trumpet and flugelhorn; Jiggs Whigham, Bill Watrous, and Tom McIntosh on trombones; Ray Starling on mellophonium; Jay McAllister on tuba; Jerry Dodgion on alto saxophone; Frank Perowsky on tenor saxophone; Joel Kaye on baritone saxophone and piccolo; Shelly Russell on bass saxophone; Johnny Knapp on piano; Chet Amsterdam on bass; Ronnie Bedford on drums; and Warren Smith on percussion) record the tracks "Get Me To The Church On Time", "On The Street Where You Live", "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Wouldn't It Be Loverly", "Show Me", "The Rain In Spain", "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", and "With A Little Bit Of Luck" at Capitol Records' New York City recording studio with producers Hugo and Luigi and recording engineer Bob Arnold. Roulette Records will release the tracks on Richards' album "My Fair Lady - My Way"
1966 - Greg Kane, keyboardist with the Circa Records (a division of Virgin Records) group Hue And Cry, is born in Coatbridge, Scotland. While a designer at Virgin Records America, I adapted the group's UK packaging for U.S. release on Virgin Records America, as well as designing promo items and advertising.
1972 - Over three sets, drummer Elvin Jones (with David Liebman on flute, soprano saxophone and tenor saxophone; Steve Grossman on saxophone and tenor saxophone; and Gene Perla on bass) records the tracks (Set No. 1) "Brite Piece", "New Breed", "Sambra", "My Ship", "Taurus People", (Set No. 2) "Fancy Free", "I'm A Fool To Want You", "Sweet Mama", "The Children, Save The Children", (Set No.3), "The Children's Merry-Go-Round March", "Small One", "P.P. Phoneix", and "For All The Other Times" live at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, California with producer George Butler and recording engineer Dino Lapas. The tracks will appear on the Blue Note Records albums "Live At The Lighthouse, Volume One" and "Live At The Lightouse, Volume Two". Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.
1995 - Chynna Phillips, member of the former SBK Records group Wilson Phillips, marries actor William Baldwin. Phillips' former Wilson Phillips partners, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, are also present at the ceremony.
2002 - Former Capitol Records artist Anne Murray is inducted into the Canadian Country Music Artists Hall Of Fame at the 2002 Canadian Country Music Artists Awards ceremony held in Calgary, Canada

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1894 - Arthur Freed, vaudevillian, Broadway and motion picture composer (best known for "Singing In The Rain"), associate motion picture producer ("The Wizard Of Oz"), and motion picture producer (had his own "unit" at M-G-M which created "Singing In The Rain", "An American In Paris", "Gigi", and many more), is born in Charleston, South Carolina.
1839 - Astronomer John Herschel takes the first glass plate photograph and would go on to coin the terms "photography", "negative", and "positive", and discover sodium thiosulphite as a fixer of silver halides
1956 - Elvis Presley appears on CBS-TV's "Toast of the Town" (with actor and future Capitol Records artist Charles Laughton filling in for the show's normal host, the ailing Ed Sullivan), for the first time and 54,000,000 viewers (82.6 percent of the U.S. television audience) tune in to watch Presley sing "Don’t Be Cruel" and "Ready Teddy"
1958 - The first stereo two-channel records are issued,­ by Audio Fidelity in the United States and Pye in Britain, using the Westrex "45/45" single-groove system