DECEMBER 25, 2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1915 - Pete Rugolo, bandleader, songwriter, arranger (for Capitol Records artists Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, June Christy, Nat "King" Cole, Harry Belafonte, and many others), music director of Capitol Records from 1949-1957, and motion picture and television score composer, is born in San Piero, Sicily
90 Years Ago Today In 1918 - Eddie Safranski, bandleader and bass player with Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
60 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Barbara Mandrell, singer and Capitol Records artist (1986), is born Barbara Ann Mandrell in Houston, Texas
1954 - Steve Wariner, singer, songwriter, guitarist, member of The Grand Ole Opry, and Capitol Records Nashville artist (1998), is born in Noblesville, Indiana

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "The Christmas Song", with "In The Cool Of The Evening" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Pop singles charts and Merle Travis' Capitol Records single "Divorce Me C.O.D.", with "Missouri" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.
1965 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Day Tripper" enters the top 40 of Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart at #28 and will peak at #5 on January 22, 1966. It's flip side, "We Can Work It Out" is #11 and will peak at #1 on January 8, 1966.
1970 - George Harrison's Apple Records single "My Sweet Lord", with "Isn't It A Pity" on the flip side and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1982 - Capitol Records releases Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band's album "The Distance" on cassette
1986 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single "Notorious", with "Winter Marches On" on the flip side, is #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1995 - Dean Martin, singer, motion picture actor, televsion variety show host, and Capitol Records solo artist and part of the the group The Rat Pack, dies at 3:00 AM of acute respiratory failure at age 78 in Beverly Hills, California

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Henry Vestine (aka "The Sunflower"), guitarist with The Beans, The Mothers Of Invention and the Liberty Records group Canned Heat (1965-early 1969, 1971), is born in Tacoma Park, Maryland. Liberty's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records' parent company EMI Music.
30 Years Ago Today In 1978 - Kenny Rogers' United Artists Records single "The Gambler", with "Momma's Waiting" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Country Singles chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records' parent company EMI Music.