DECEMBER 20, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1949 - Alan Parsons, singer, keyboardist, flutist, music engineer (on The Beatles’ album "Abbey Road", Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side Of The Moon", early Wings albums, and many others), record producer, and founder of the band The Alan Parsons Project, is born in London, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, John Anderson, Russ Burgher, and Bob Lymperis on trumpet; Freddie Zito, Jimmy Simms, Milt Kabak, and Ray Kline on trombone; Bart Varsalona on baritione trombone; Al Anthony and Boots Mussulli on alto saxophone; Vido Musso and Bob Cooper on tenor saxophone; Bob Gioga on baritone saxophone; Kenton on piano; Bob Ahern on guitar; Eddie Safranski on bass; Ralph Collier on drums; June Christy and Gene Howard on vocals) record the tracks "Solitude" (solo by Simms), "No Baby, Nobody But You" (vocal by Christy, solos by Kenton, Safranski, Wetzel, Musso, and Simms), "Never Too Late To Pray" (vocal by Howard), "Tea For Two" (solos by Kenton, Safranksi, and Mussulli), "One Twenty" (solos by Mussulli, Kenton, and Childers), "Dont Blame Me" (vocal by Howard), "Intermission Riff" (solos by Musso, Wetzel, and Mussulli) "It Ain't Necessarily So" (vocal by Christy), "I Never Thought I'd Sing The Blues" (vocal by Christy, solos by Safranski, Kenton and Wetzel), "Artistry In Rhythm - Opening Theme" (with solo by Kenton), and "Artistry In Rhythm - Closing Theme" (solos by Kenton and Collier) for Capitol Records at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California
1949 - Tennessee Ernie Ford's Capitol Records single "Mule Train" is still #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1949 - Harry Belafonte records the tracks "Whispering", "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child", "I Still Get A Thrill" and "Farewell To Arms" at his second (and last) recording session for Capitol Records. If anyone knows where the session was held, please leave a comment.
1957 - Peggy Lee, with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, records the tracks "I Hear Music", "Old Devil Moon", and "What A Little Moonlight Can Do" for her Capitol Records album "Jump For Joy" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "I Feeel Fine" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1966 - The Beatles record the track "When I'm Sixty-Four"
1970 - George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
35 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassoto), singer, motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist, dies of heart failure after open-heart surgery at age 37. In accordance with his wishes, his body was donated to the UCLA Medical Center for research purposes.
1997 - Garth Brook's Capitol Nashville single "Longneck Bottle", with "Rollin'" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Country Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1907 - Paul Francis Webster, lyricist ("Masquerade", "Two Cigarettes In The Dark", Betty Hutton's Capitol Records release "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief", "Secret Love", The Lettermen's Capitol Records release "Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing", and many more), is born in New York City, New York
90 Years Ago Today In 1918 - John Hardee, tenor saxophonist, band leader, and Blue Note Records artist (1946-1948), is born in Corsicana, Texas
1920 - Future Capitol Records artist Bob Hope (born Leslie Townes Hope in Eltham, London, England) becomes an American citizen. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Capitol's parent company, EMI Music, and Blue Note Records is currently a division of Capitol Records, Inc.
1967 - Chrysalis band Jethro Tull is formed when Ian Anderson and Glenn Cornick name the band after an eighteenth-century inventor of farming implements. Chrysalis' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records' parent company, EMI Music.