APRIL 27, 2008

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

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

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

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