APRIL 6, 2008

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

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

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