MARCH 2, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
105 Years Ago Today In 1904 - Dr. Seuss, artist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author ("The Cat in the Hat", "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", "Green Eggs and Ham" and many others) is born Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts. Capitol Records would release Seuss' "Gerald McBoing-Boing" in 1950 as a children's record with The Great Gildersleeve (Harold Peary) narrating the story. The story would later be the first cartoon released by UPA.
1955 - Dale Bozzio, singer with Frank Zappa and the Capitol Records group Missing Persons, is born Dale Frances Consalvi in Boston, Massachusettes

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Betty Hutton's Capitol Records single "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief", with "(I'm A) Square In The Social Circle" on the flip side, is still #1 on the U.S. Pop singles charts. Both songs appear in the Paramount movie "The Stork Club" starring Hutton which was produced by Capitol Records co-founder Buddy DeSylva and features fellow Capitol Records artist Andy Russell in a supporting role. "(I'm A) Square In The Social Circle" was written by Jay Livingston (brother of Capitol Records then new vice president of children's records Alan Livingston) and Ray Evans.
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Only The Lonely", with "The Journey" on the flip side, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1900 - Kurt Weill, composer (best known for "Mack The Knife" ["Mackie der Messer"] from the musical "Three Penny Opera" ["Drei Pfennig Opera"] written with Berthold Brecht) is born in Dessau, Germany.
1983 - The compact disc is launched for home audio by its co-developers Sony and Philips. In six months I'll design my first CD package (including 6x12 long box) for Paul Simon's Warner Bros. album "Hearts And Bones" under the art direction of Jeri McManus (later Jeri Heiden after she married fellow designer John Heiden). The three color posterization on the back of the box was my idea.